Power, Wisdom, and Fur
by Player4
Summary: A bizarre mishap with a portal finds the Hero of Twilight in a strange new land in a new form. Suddenly taken up in a world of rival Clans, he must strive to gain acceptance of the warriors around him. Meanwhile, a dark and dangerous power rises...
1. Prologue

**Author's Notes:** I'm trying my hand in the art of Crossovers! Let's see if I can pull it off... Also, this fanfic was inspired by _Heart of a Warrior_, written by Ruthie of the Wildcats. I TOTALLY recommend you read this. It's awesome! Warriors are living in Hyrule! Who knew? However, my setting won't be in Hyrule, for fear of idea theft. I don't want to copy Ruthie's work, really! So, without further ado: _Power, Wisdom, and Fur_! Please read, review, and enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Warriors or The Legend of Zelda. But I sure-as-heck _wish_ I did! -grumble-

--~-~-~--

**Prologue**

Silvery moonlight glanced off the cascading water that filtered into the pool below, setting the small hollow aglow with dancing light. A lone cat sat at the edge of the pool, the scenery fitting well with her pelt, a pelt that seemed to hold the light of the very stars themselves. Said stars shone brightly down from the heavens, glinting and twinkling warmly against the black of the night. The deep, piercing blue eyes of the she-cat, however, held no warmth at all as she looked up at the night sky above her. In fact...they held sadness. Deep sadness at the number of stars that populated Silverpelt on that night.

"How many more warriors must die," she asked herself quietly, "before the darkness is cleared?"

"That is something not even I know, Bluestar."

Bluestar whipped around at the sound of the unfamiliar voice, hackles rising defensively. Her ears pressed down flat to her blue-gray head, claws unsheathing menacingly. At first, she saw nothing, but did not let her guard down. Her instincts proved true as not one, but _three_ strange cats entered the sacred hollow of the Moonpool.

"Who are you?" Bluestar barked, arching her back.

"Peace, young one," spoke one of the three. This cat was burly yet feminine at the same time, with strong muscles undulating under her deep red pelt as she walked smoothly forward. She was the biggest of the three, with bright amber eyes that seemed formidable yet welcoming and compassionate at the same time. An aura of power seemed to surround her like a scent, almost tangible.

"What do you want?" Bluestar asked cautiously, forcing her neck fur down just a little.

"We bring a prophecy," spoke another cat. This she-cat was slender and sleek, and her satiny blueish pelt almost shone as she walked forward. Never, not even from RiverClan, had Bluestar laid eyes on such a soft, luxurious pelt. Like Bluestar's, it shone with a blue light, but this pelt held deep shades of navy, cobalt, and sky in it as well. She walked in a way that was strong and delicate at the same time, and there was great dignity in each carefully placed pawstep. This cat's eyes were a light green, soft and inviting. They seemed to hold much experience as well, and one could almost see the great wisdom that was held within the she-cat.

Finally, the third cat stepped forward. She did not seem as muscular as the red one, but she appeared much stronger than the blue one. Lean muscle was visible under her soft pelt, which appeared...green? No, but it was close. Her pelt seemed predominantly gray, with browns and tans mixed in as well. Some of them were so deep in their color that they appeared almost like the leaves on the trees greenleaf, and the pelt certainly gave off a greenish glow. Her eyes were a light blue, and they stared straight in front of her, as if she were viewing a scene that Bluestar could not. There was also a sense of boldness about her, as if she would jump right in to the thick of a battle to aid her companions. She held her head high, proud and courageous.

"Listen well, former leader, to what I have to say." The greenish she-cat's voice was smooth and flowing, almost pleasurable to listen to. "A stranger will come, and in the darkest hour, many shall turn one." At this, all three she-cats began to vanish.

"Wait!" Bluestar called, but as soon as she could react, the three strange cats were gone. All that remained was confusion, confusion of the three she-cats and of the prophecy itself. The StarClan warrior knew all too well, however, that prophecies from the heavens would explain themselves in time.

Bluestar looked up to the eastern sky, to find that the first rays of dawn were fast approaching. Slowly, she turned and left the Moonpool, disappearing through the brambles.

--~-~-~--

**Post-Notes:** Whaddaya think? Will I be able to pull this off? Also, if you couldn't guess who those three cats were...you need to play Zelda again. But I bet you knew! Anyway, 'tis short, but it's just a prologue! Chapter 1 is where the _real_ action begins! Which is lucky for you, because I've got the next seven chapters of this story all typed up and ready to be uploaded. Again, please review. But no flames. Who likes those, anyway?

--Your good buddy,

**Player4**


	2. Chapter 1: An Unexpected Occurance

**Author's Notes:** Chapter 1 commences! Not much to say...yet. *cackles and vanishes* Please read, review, and most of all, enjoy! Anyone who does gets a free Internet cookie.

**Disclaimer:** Did you honestly think for a moment I owned Warriors or Zelda?!

--~-~-~--

**Chapter 1: An Unexpected Occurrence**

Golden rays touched down upon the playful waves of Lake Hylia, setting the sparkling lake and the green trees around it with a shining yellow halo. It was a little past midday, and the shadows of the two figures sitting by the lakebed were just beginning to reach towards the east. The bigger figure yawned, stretched, and rose to its feet, while the other, smaller figure merely floated up to the shoulder level of the first.

"So," began the smaller figure in a high-pitched voice, "the next fragment of the Twilight Mirror is in the mountains. Shall we?"

The larger figure was about to nod, when he noticed something odd about the portal above him. It flickered and glowed at the center with a white light, and instead of being streaked with blues and teals, the stripes of magic shone with a silver glow.

"Midna? Look, at the portal, it's..."

"What?" Midna asked, looking up. She narrowed her crimson irises (well, iris, considering her left eye was covered by her large gray helmet) at the portal. Black and teal with a few rings in the center, nothing unusual. "What are you talking about? You're seeing things, Link."

Link's cobalt eyes widened as he looked back at the portal, whose appearance was as normal as ever.

"But, it...agh, maybe you're right."

"Of course I'm right, stupid!" There was laughter in Midna's voice, and playfulness in her visible eye. "Now, let's be off!"

Link smiled at his friend and nodded. He closed his eyes as the familiar feeling came over him, and his and Midna's bodies broke into Twilight particles and flew up into the sky. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, just he and Midna warping to another point in Hyrule. But...something began to feel wrong.

"Ugh...Midna? I don't feel so good..."

"Well don't get sick anywhere near me!" called the disembodied voice of Midna to her companion. Despite the sharp feeling of the words, there was concern hidden in her tone. As far as she knew, Link didn't get motion sickness.

Link didn't feel good at _all_. Unlike the usual light feeling of warping, the space around him began to feel tight and dense. It pressed down on his torso, trying to force the air out from his lungs. Consequently, it also forced the contents out of his stomach. Searing pain streaked through his arms and legs, pain that came in deep, pulsing waves that appeared to grow stronger and stronger with every new pulse.

"Midna?" he called out weakly and desperately. "Midna?!"

"Link," Midna's faint voice replied, "I-I can't feel you! Where--"

"AAAAGH!!" her words were cut off by the sharp cry of pain from the hero.

"Link!!" she yelled. No answer.

Everything was silent. Midna searched for Link's presence in the warp-stream, but the only one she could feel was her own. She was alone, well and truly alone.

---~-~---

Link blinked open his eyes, instantly blinded by the bright sunlight that shone harshly down upon him. He tried to raise up a hand to block out the unforgiving rays, but felt much too weak to move. What had happened? Then the memories came rushing back to him, memories of the crushing darkness and his separation from Midna. Midna! He tried to call out, but his voice was hoarse from before, and the effort of talking left his throat painfully sore. Feeling weariness sweep over him with the strength of a tide, he closed his eyes again and instantly succumbed to it.

When Link woke once more, groggy and sore, the sun was just about to set over the horizon. He continued to lay where he was with his eyes closed, the effects of the events prior just beginning to ebb. Suddenly, the sound of rustling plants behind him reached his ears, and hushed murmurs instantly filled the area.

"Look, it's a cat!"

"What's a loner doing on _our_ territory? Let's chase him off!"

Link wondered why the strange voices hadn't noticed him yet, and he wondered if he should be glad about that fact. And what was their issue with cats? Link couldn't see how a cat on someone's property could cause too much harm. Suddenly, he felt a strong prod in his side, and heard a throated growl. His eyes flicked open, to see two giant cats standing over him. He felt a panic rise within him. Cats weren't that big! He instinctively rolled to the side and reached for his sword to find...that it wasn't there. The Master Sword was gone! The cats, now at eye level with him, growled and unsheathed their claws. Link backed away, looking at his paws as he did so.

Paws. He had paws. And they didn't belong to a wolf.

His eyes widened in fear, and he turned around and ran. What was going on?! He had to find Midna, and _fast_. He looked around to find that the two cats had given chase, and were gaining speed very rapidly.

_Boy, these cats are quick! I can't outrun them!_

Link ran with all his strength, trying desperately to escape the two felines who were now so close that they could reach out and touch him. There was a river up ahead, and it was fast approaching. Summoning all of his might, he sprang across the gap. He had mis-aimed the jump, however, and felt his forepaws crash through the surface of the water. Kicking powerfully with his hind legs, he carried himself strongly through the icy fluid. Clawing desperately for the shore, he heaved himself up onto the bank. He dared to spare a glance behind him, expecting the two cats to leap on him at any moment, but instead saw that they hadn't crossed the river.

"And stay out of WindClan," called one, "you filthy loner!"

The two cats turned around and stalked off through the heather, bounding around the rocks and out of sight. Relief swept over Link, but it left him wondering.

_Why hadn't they followed me across the river?_ he asked himself as he tried to catch his breath.

As he parted his jaws and breathed inward, however, scents threw themselves at the roof of his mouth. He smelled the scents of cats, forests, and something else that he couldn't quite describe. His mind pulled up a foggy image of something small and furry. Curious now, he turned towards the river, and tried to draw the scents of the lands across it towards him. It was almost a different smell entirely! Maybe that was why those two hadn't followed him. That was their territory, and this was a different one completely.

Panic struck him at that thought. Would he be pursued on this side of the river here in the same manner he was there? He felt the hairs, fur rather, at the back of his neck raise at the thought. Then, another thought struck him, much more urgent than the previous one. Link looked around, finding small puddles dotting the forest area around him.

_It must've rained recently,_ he thought as he trotted over to one.

He looked into the small pool of water, and he gasped at what he saw.

Staring back at him from the surface of the pool was a shocked-looking tortoiseshell cat with deep blue eyes. His golden pelt shone like the sun, soft and thick. Light brown fur started at his elbows, from there covering his forelegs and forepaws.

_Like my gloves,_ Link thought with wonder. The most important thing to him though, however faint it appeared, was a brownish-yellow triangular mark that adorned his left paw. _The Triforce!_

Link found, from looking below and behind him, that he had similar light brown sock markings on his back legs and paws as he did on his front ones.

_I suppose those would be my boots,_ he thought with dry amusement. There wasn't any room for humor here, though, and now that his curiosity was satisfied, he had to focus on his new situation. Tipping his head back and holding his jaws to the sky, he let out a loud yowl.

"Midnaaa!" he called, finding with surprise that his voice came out in a meow. _Of course you meowed, you idiot, you're a cat!_ Would Midna be able to understand him? Was she even around to hear him? The thought almost made him sick. He had never been parted from Midna since the start of his adventure.

"Who's Midna?" came a voice from somewhere in front of him. "More importantly," said the voice, much more accusingly, "who are you?"

A dark brown tabby tom had stepped out from the cover of the bushes, but this cat looked bulkier and more muscular than the two that Link had just fled from. The other cat stared angrily at Link as it unsheathed its claws, crouching as if about to spring. It didn't seem like the cat was going to allow Link to answer its question. Being in no condition to run again, Link would have to stand his ground. Flight was no option, so he must choose fight. He instinctively stretched his paws, slightly surprised when claws slid out. He arched his spine, feeling the fur on the back of his neck and shoulders rising again.

"Rogue!" shouted the other cat, but it didn't seem to be calling Link that. It seemed to be...signaling an alarm!

The brown tom then sprang at Link, who just managed to roll out of the way. He thanked the Goddesses that he had fought as an animal before. However, fighting as a cat proved considerably different from fighting as a wolf. The other cat recovered quickly and met Link head on, digging its claws painfully into his already-hurting shoulders. Blood trickled down his side as he thrashed, trying to shake his assailant off. Raising a paw, he knocked the brown cat in the side of the head, trying to put as much force behind his blow as possible while scoring a few thin lines in the other cat's cheek in the process. The cat released his grip, side-stepped, and glared at Link.

"Not a bad fighter for a rogue," he said almost grudgingly, "but I've barely gotten started!"

"Good," said Link, "because I'm not giving up!"

The brown cat rose up onto its hind legs, and Link saw his chance. He bowled into the cat's legs with his head, batting out with his forepaws at the tom's side as he came down. The tom was knocked to the ground, but he wasn't down for long. Hissing with disbelief, he sprang to his paws once more. He charged again, his larger body knocking Link's legs out from under him and sending him to his side. Before Link could get up, he felt the crushing weight of paws on his neck and stomach. He struggled with all his might, but the larger cat held him pinned. When all seemed lost, his left paw began to glow faintly. _Yes!_ There was a bright flash, and the weight of the cat was suddenly removed. The larger tom was sent flying a few feet away, and Link jumped to his paws once more.

"What was _that_?!" snarled the other tom, looking around him shakily.

"What are you talking about?" Link asked innocently, acting as if nothing had happened.

"You-I-it...!" Hissing with rage, the dark tabby rose to his paws once more. _This guy doesn't know when to quit!_ Link thought.

Just then, the bushes rustled again. The tabby looked back at Link with a smirk as at least four more cats emerged from the greenery. Link felt his heart drop into his stomach, and his tail instantly drooped to the ground.

"Dustpelt!" called a pale gray she-cat. The she-cat rushed over to the brown tom, who Link could now put a name to.

"I'm fine, Ferncloud," Dustpelt replied. "Only a few scratches." He looked at Link with a leer as he said that, and Link supposed it must've been an insult.

Dustpelt, Ferncloud, and the remaining cats all approached Link, who backed away and looked around himself frantically. With cats to his sides and a river behind him, there was no clear way out. He could try to cross the river and head into the other territory, but who could say if the cats on that side would have reinforcements? It was also plainly obvious that he wouldn't be welcomed. At all.

Another tabby tom walked up to Link, and in the way he held himself, Link assumed he was the leader. His amber eyes stared right into Link's blue ones, and the hard look the other tom gave him made him feel suddenly smaller.

"What business do you have on ThunderClan territory," demanded the tom, "attacking one of its warriors?"

"_He_ launched the attack," replied Link angrily, "not me. He didn't even give me the opportunity to explain myself!"

"Dustpelt, is that true?" asked the tom, looking behind him.

"It...might be," said Dustpelt, slightly resigned.

"Well, explain yourself now," spoke the tabby, looking back at Link.

"I just want to know where Hyrule is so I can get back there," Link said with a sigh.

"Hy-rule?" asked the tom, sounding out the new phrase. "I've never heard of it." The tabby saw the sudden despairing look in the blue eyes of the tortoiseshell before him, and his gaze softened slightly. "Maybe you should come back to camp with us. Firestar may know the place you're talking about."

"Thank you, er..."

"Brambleclaw," said the tom. Link nodded in gratitude.

Brambleclaw turned around, beckoning with his tail to follow. Link trotted after him, trying to ignore the fierce, mistrusting looks the other cats gave him. He couldn't blame them, of course. He was a strange cat encroaching on their territory, and they felt the need to protect it. Link's ears drooped sadly as he thought of the land _he_ should be protecting right now, and he looked at the Triforce on his paw.

_I'll get back to Hyrule somehow,_ he thought. _And I'll come back as a Hylian, with Midna by my side. I have to._ With that thought in mind, he pressed boldly onward through the trees.

---~-~---

Link couldn't get over the size of everything as he followed Brambleclaw through the forest. The trees and bushes were so _big_! Everything was so new, the sights, the smells. He had already experienced and grown familiar with life as an animal before, but there were more differences between being a cat and a wolf than Link had expected. Frankly, he missed his wolf size. Had he been able to transform into a wolf when he first found himself in this strange land, he could have defeated those first two cats instantly without breaking a sweat. Instead, he was run off the territory like scum, fearing for his life. What an indignity!

It seemed as if Link had been walking for ages. Night had already fallen, and cold moonlight peeked through the cover of the trees above him. It shone through the spaces between the leaves, speckling the soft ground with silver light. Link spotted a small, fuzzy thing on the edge of his vision. A mouse, gathering berries on the ground. His stomach rumbled, but he decided it best not to hunt the prey of another cat's land. It was a good thing he came to this decision, too, or he would've been driven off the territory without a second thought. He was already on shaky terms with the cats around him, and doing absolutely anything to upset them would not prove well at all.

At long last, the group halted.

"Here we are," spoke Brambleclaw, "ThunderClan camp."

Link looked around him, slightly confused. He saw no camp, only bushes, shrubs, and more bushes. Where was the camp? He watched curiously as Brambleclaw crouched low, sneaking under a few thickly-woven brambles. Of course, the camp was hidden!

_Very well hidden,_ Link thought to himself. _If Brambleclaw hadn't shown me the entrance, I probably wouldn't have noticed it!_

The other cats followed Brambleclaw, until only Dustpelt remained. Dustpelt looked at Link expectantly, and somewhat disdainfully. Link realized what he wanted, and crouched under the brambles. He felt the thorns snag painfully at his pelt as he pulled himself through, and as he looked back at the entrance, he saw a few tufts of golden fur still clutching the brambles. He heard a rumbling laugh from Dustpelt, and felt his ears grow hot with embarrassment.

Link stifled a gasp as he looked around himself for the first time. Huge walls of stone rose up around him, and the clearing in the middle was bustling with cats of all colors and sizes. Many of them had stopped to look at him, some curious, others mistrusting, and others still excited. Chatter rose all around him, murmuring in his ears like a low buzz.

"Who's that?"

"What's he doing here?"

"Not _another_ outsider!"

"WindClan will be talking about _this_!"

"Who says he's joining?"

"He'd better not!"

Link dipped his head self-consciously, trying to ignore the other cats and focusing on Brambleclaw, who was now leading him across the clearing.

"Firestar's den is up there," said Brambleclaw, motioning with his tail to a rocky ridge. "I'll introduce you to him."

The path wasn't too steep, with several pawholds for Link to grab onto. At the top there was a ledge that led to a small hole, and as he approached, Link felt a slight nervousness growing inside him. What was the leader going to be like? Would Link be tossed out like he was in the other territory?

"Firestar?" Brambleclaw called from outside the den.

"Yes?" came the voice of a tom from the inside.

"You have a visitor."

"Come in then," said the leader, a hint of a sigh hanging on his words.

Brambleclaw motioned for Link to follow as he vanished into the den. Not knowing at all what to expect, Link released the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding and walked inside.

--~-~-~--

**Post-Notes: **Whew, this certainly took a long time to write! Was my fight sequence okay? Also, what is it with Link and turning into animals?! Please review, thanks in advance.

--Your good buddy,

**Player4**


	3. Chapter 2: Strange Happenings

**Author's Notes:** Chapter 2! Frankly, I'm really sick today, so please excuse me if my writing quality is less than desired. Also, my description of the Temple of Time may not be completely exact (okay, I _know_ it isn't), but I'm too lazy to look it up. DEAL WITH IT. Er... -claps hands- Okay, on with the chapter! Please read, review, and enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** No, I don't own Warriors or Zelda...-sigh-

--~-~-~--

**Chapter 2: Strange Happenings**

Firestar's brilliant green eyes shone with a hint of curiosity as he laid them on the strange golden tortoiseshell that entered the den.

"Who are you," asked the ginger tom, wariness in his voice, "and what do you want?"

"My name is Link," the tortoiseshell spoke. "I'm hopelessly lost, and I was wondering if you knew of a land called Hyrule?"

"I myself have never heard of it," said Brambleclaw.

"Nor have I," said Firestar after a moment of thought.

Link hung his head despairingly, digging his claws into the soft soil. Would he ever get back to Hyrule? It didn't seem so. His only hope now was to find Midna, but how could he ever find her? He shut his eyes tightly in anguish, his tail sticking straight out behind him.

"If I may," he asked, trying to keep his voice from shaking, "where exactly am I?"

"You're in ThunderClan territory," said Firestar simply.

"Well, I know that, but do these woods have a name?"

"No."

_This tells me nothing!_ Link thought as he scored deep lines in the soil. _How can I know where I am if the lands are nameless?!_

"Well...thank you for your time, Firestar." Link turned to leave the den, all hopes he had of finding his way home shattered.

"Were will you go?" Firestar asked curiously.

"I have no idea."

"You'll _never_ survive these lands if you don't know how to navigate them," Firestar pointed out. "Warriors will chase you off, or worse, attack you, no matter what territory you're in."

"Exactly how many territories are there?" Link asked.

"There are four Clans, each with their own land. They are ShadowClan, RiverClan, ThunderClan where you are now, and WindClan."

"I already had a bad run-in with WindClan," Link thought out loud.

"The Clans don't generally tolerate rogues or loners anywhere on their lands."

"Er, what are rogues and loners?" Firestar's eyes widened, and Link figured that this was probably something he should've known as a cat.

"Loners are wandering cats, although some have their own small territories. Rogues are sort of like loners, although they defend their territories when other cats venture onto them. Most Clans get rid of these types of cats in their lands, and though ThunderClan also does not tolerate rogues, we sort of have a reputation with loners..." his voice trailed off, and Link tipped his head curiously to the side. However, it didn't seem like Firestar was going to elaborate on the subject.

_What an odd cat!_ Firestar thought to himself. _How could he not have known that? Maybe..._ Firestar recalled the dream that StarClan had sent him just last night, speaking of a stranger coming to the lands. _Could he be the stranger they spoke of?_

"Link, since you obviously have no home and nowhere to go, would you like to stay in ThunderClan for a while?" Brambleclaw shot a glance at his leader, who returned a knowing look. Brambleclaw simply nodded in reply.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Firestar." Link dipped his head gratefully to the ThunderClan leader. "I'll try my hardest not to be a burden."

---~-~---

Jayfeather flicked his ears towards the sounds of rocks tumbling from the Highledge. There was a _thump!_ noise as the newcomer hit the ground.

_Not very light on his paws,_ Jayfeather mused. _Almost as if he's not used to them!_

There was something odd about that new cat. His smell was a main thing. He didn't smell like anywhere Jayfeather had ever gone, and he had been to many places. He even made a journey to the mountains! As Jayfeather drew the smell over his scent glands, something startled him. This cat...smelled like Twoleg...and canine! It was so faint probably only someone like Jayfeather could pick it up, but it was there. The scent of wolf.

_Alright, just who are you?_

Jayfeather concentrated, trying to push his way into the strange cat's mind. What he got startled him. Visions of a strange world and an odd black and white creature laid themselves out before him. Then blackness, and finally the familiar forest of ThunderClan. Feelings of fear, confusion, and dread worked their way into his mind, until Jayfeather thought it would suffocate him. He severed the connection and flicked open his eyes, trying to catch his breath.

"Are you alright?" a concerned voice asked him. Jayfeather was surprised to find that it was the voice of the loner.

"I'm..._fine_," Jayfeather retorted sharply.

"I was just asking," said the loner, sounding a little put-out. Jayfeather realized that his response was sharper than he had intended. The cat was just trying to be friendly, after all.

"What's your name?" Jayfeather inquired.

"Link. And yours?"

"Jayfeather," the blind cat grunted.

"You Clan cats have interesting names," Link mused. "What do they mean?"

"When you're born in a Clan," Jayfeather started, "you're given a kit name that represents something about you. I was named Jaykit. Then you become an apprentice, and you get '-paw' after your name. Once you're fully trained as an apprentice, you receive your warrior name from the leader, which can also represent something about you. Or, it can be random."

"You change names?" Link asked, incredulous.

"What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing, I just find it interesting. I mean, where I come from, your name symbolizes you, and to change it would just be...I dunno, it would be weird."

Jayfeather only nodded. He could see where Link was coming from, in a way.

"Jayfeather?" someone else called. It was Leafpool, the medicine cat for ThunderClan and Jayfeather's mentor.

"Yes, Leafpool?"

"I'm going out to gather herbs, can you keep an eye on Thornclaw for me? He's developed a fever, and is coughing pretty badly."

"I'm _fine!_" Thornclaw called weakly from the medicine cat den.

"No you're not," retorted Leafpool. Thornclaw began a bout of coughing again, proving the medicine cat's point.

Jayfeather nodded to Link, and trotted off towards the den.

---~-~---

Link continued to surprise Jayfeather. When offered a nest in the warrior's den (much to the complaint of certain warriors) to sleep for the night, he declined on the account that he was not a warrior and had not earned the right to sleep there like the other cats had. Instead, he seemed perfectly content to sleep under the stars on the edge of the clearing. Jayfeather could hear his deep breathing now, sound asleep despite the uncomfortable sleeping conditions.

_It doesn't seem to bother him,_ thought Jayfeather, who couldn't sleep himself. _I for one though, would not like to sleep anywhere but my nice warm nest!_

Curiosity worked its way into Jayfeather's thoughts, and he closed his eyes. Focusing, he imagined himself walking through the clearing and standing over the loner. Jayfeather, in his thoughts, sat down next to Link, matching his breathing patterns. Slowly, he found himself in the loner's dreams.

Jayfeather blinked open his eyes, seeing a forest around him. It wasn't ThunderClan forest though...this one was strange and unfamiliar. It wasn't the unfamiliarity that sent prickles down Jayfeather's pelt, however. Somehow...he felt as if he were being watched by unseen eyes. As he walked slowly along, he saw many ruins of a gigantic Twoleg nest. Crumbled stone was covered with ivy, lichen, and moss, and plants worked their way through cracks in the hard stone ground.

_Where is this place?_ Jayfeather asked himself. _Why would Link dream about a destroyed Twoleg nest?_

Suddenly, he saw Link ahead of him. Getting his first look at the loner, he found that Link was a golden tortoiseshell with brown sock patterns. The tom navigated the ruins surely, clearly knowing where he was going. Jayfeather decided that he had no choice but to follow him, but he would have to be careful not to get caught. Dropping into a crouch, he kept to the shadows. He eventually followed Link to a stone arch, with wood inside it. Link stopped, and looked around.

_Why doesn't he just walk around it?_ Jayfeather wondered. _There's nothing behind it._

Link nudged the wood with his side, slowly pushing it outward. It swung open, to reveal what should've been the other side of the ruins. Instead...

_Whoa! Wh-what?! That's impossible!_

Inside the arch was a massive Twoleg nest. Link hurried inside, his golden tail vanishing from sight. Jayfeather rushed to follow him, slowing as he entered the nest. It was _huge_! Stone rose up all around him, higher than the tallest trees in the forest back home. Clear, colorful stuff sparkled in inlets cut in the rock, and the whole thing, despite it being of Twoleg creation, was a true sight to behold. Link's ears and tail were twitching with happiness, and he bounded eagerly towards a tall, flat, stone thing. A few hard, shiny substances sparkled above the stone. One was red, one was green, and one was blue, and they were all set with gold. Link hurried forward towards a tall, angular opening that was past the flat rock, and ran inside. Jayfeather followed him closely, itching to know Link's secrets.

This part of the nest was also made of rock, and a small square stone with a slot in the top was the only thing that the area held. An odd triangular pattern was etched into the stone, and Jayfeather also recalled seeing it on the ground in the other area and outside. The golden tom walked up to the small stone, and he touched his nose to it somewhat nostalgically. Suddenly, the triangle pattern began to glow with a bright yellow light. Link stepped back, eyes gleaming. Then, the bottom left triangle began to glow brighter than the others. Jayfeather saw the outline of a figure appear, and the more he looked at it, the more it solidified. But...this figure wasn't that of a cat.

_It's...a Twoleg!_

A tall Twoleg stood in front of the small stone. Her furless skin was pale and fair, and the fur atop her head was a rich, verdant green and reached down in waves to her mid-back. The loose Twoleg pelt she wore was also a light green, and started at her forelegs. From there it flowed down like ripples in a pool, reaching the middle of her hind legs and hanging there limply. She wore a strange covering on the pelt as well. It was brown in some places and silver in the others, and it was hard and shiny. It clung to the Twoleg's chest and forelegs, tethered by a few thin brown strings.

"Goddess Farore!" Link exclaimed, instantly bowing his head and dropping his chest to the ground. Jayfeather wrinkled his nose as if smelling something bad. How could any Twoleg deserve the respect of a cat?

"Rise, young hero," spoke the Twoleg. Link quickly stood up again, awe sparkling in his blue eyes.

_What's going on here?_ Jayfeather questioned. _And how can we understand the language of the Twolegs? Hold on a minute...she was speaking cat! Now I'm_ really _confused!_

"Link, there is information I must pass to you," spoke the Twoleg addressed as Farore, "but one looks on who is not supposed to be present."

Jayfeather felt his heart drop into his stomach as the Twoleg looked straight at him. How did she know he was there?! Link turned around, confused, not able to spot Jayfeather in the shadows.

"I request that you leave, young one." The Twoleg continued to look directly and expectantly at Jayfeather. Jayfeather felt himself nod hurriedly, and he turned around and left Link's strange dream.

Jayfeather opened his eyes again, blackness once more all that took up his vision. He was blind again, and thankful of it. What was the meaning of Link's dream? It wasn't natural, at _all_. Where was that, and who was that Twoleg that had known of his presence? It was all too much for Jayfeather to swallow. But now, he had a new mystery to work out. The mystery of the strange loner. Jayfeather was going to get to the bottom of it, one way or another. He _had_ to. If he didn't, he knew that it would nag at him for many moons to come. And from what he had heard, Link might be staying for a while yet. At least Jayfeather had time to work it all out. And he would, without a doubt.

---~-~---

Link blinked open his eyes slowly, new hope in his mind from the events of the night. He had had a dream, one that took place in the Temple of Time. Goddess Farore herself had come to him, and told him a little of the strange land that he was in. It was a land of wild cats, all fighting for survival in the lake area. They had their own customs, traditions, and rituals. It was really a culture all of its own. Farore had also told him that he had been sent here for a reason, although she had not told him just what that reason was. But one thing she had said as they parted set his mind abuzz with excitement.

_"Do not despair, hero. You will find home eventually."_

Did it mean he would find his way back to Hyrule? He hoped to the heavens that it did. But what else could it mean?

One thing that had occurred was definitely a strange one. Farore had seen and spoken of another being in his dream, and would not disclose her information until that being was gone. But who was it? Who was the intruder in his thoughts? He felt a slight chill prickle down his pelt. Was there someone around that could see into other cats' minds?

_Best not think about it right now...More worry is the_ last _thing I need!_

Link stretched, and looked up at the sky. It was a pale gray, and the first rays of sunlight hadn't even begun to creep their way over the horizon. Sunrise wasn't terribly far away, but it was still a while yet. Link yawned, and trotted over to the thorn tunnel.

"Someone's an early riser," spoke the voice of a she-cat. Link looked up to see a striped gray tabby, one he thought was Millie. He couldn't remember if they were introduced, but he had seen her around the camp.

"I thought I'd go for a walk," said Link with a shrug. "You know, acquaint myself with the territory."

"Mind if I come too?" asked the tabby. "I was going to go out as well, but we could go together. I can show you around the forest, if you want." Link was slightly surprised by the she-cat's friendliness. After Firestar had allowed him to stay, he had gotten mixed feelings from the other cats. Some tolerated him, some were kind of nice, while others were suspicious and even somewhat hostile.

"Okay," he said with a nod. "Thanks."

"No problem," said Millie with a smile. Loner following former loner, the two left the camp.

---~-~---

"I guess we could start out from the WindClan border," Millie thought out loud, "and work our way around from there." She was leading Link through the forest, trying to think of the best way to show him a lot of the territory in the short time that they had. It would take a whole day to see it all, but she figured she would at least show him as much as she could before daybreak.

"WindClan?" he asked in a strangely neutral tone. Millie remembered the gossip she had heard of Link's first arrival in the Clans.

"Don't worry," she assured, "you'll be fine as long as you stay on the ThunderClan side of the stream. It's a part of the warrior code not to trespass on another Clan's land."

"So you're a warrior, right? Pardon my asking, but why don't you have a warrior name?"

"I don't mind you asking. Actually, Firestar had offered me a warrior naming ceremony after a while of being in the Clan, but I didn't see why my name should be changed. It represents me, after all, so why should I change it?" Link almost smiled as she put words to his exact thoughts. "Oh, here's the stream that marks the border." Millie halted, and motioned with her tail upriver. "Up there is the Moonpool, where leaders and medicine cats speak to StarClan."

"StarClan?"

"StarClan are all the deceased warrior ancestors of the Clans. They watch over us and protect us. You can see them every night, in the stars of Silverpelt. Silverpelt is the thick band of stars that stretches across the night sky. It's where StarClan holds camp." Link merely nodded in reply. "Here," Millie continued, "follow me up this slope!" It was rather high and steep, but eventually they reached the top.

_Wow,_ thought Link as he turned around, _what a view!_

The lands spanned out before him, forests, grasslands, and a huge lake. Sunlight was just beginning to show itself, and the lake sparkled vaguely in the half-light. The lake was massive, and it was fringed by many trees of many kinds. Feelings of nostalgia and homesickness worked their way into him as he thought of another giant lake, Lake Hylia. He shook his head, trying to dislodge the thought.

"See the pine forest across the lake?" asked Millie, motioning with her tail. "Those are ShadowClan's lands. The huge hills and grasslands to the side of us belong to WindClan. Then the marshland across the lake belongs to RiverClan. They're the only cats who can swim and catch fish."

"How about that island in the lake, near the marsh?" Link asked.

"That's our Gathering place. Gatherings are held on the full moon, and it's the one night when all the Clans hold a sacred truce. A large group of cats is selected from each Clan to attend, and they represent the whole Clan while they're there. Leaders share news from their Clans, and cats from different Clans can talk together in peace. It's really fun to go!"

"Sounds interesting," Link commented.

"We should get back to camp," Millie said as she looked to the east. The sun was beginning to rise, and dawn was breaking. "They're probably going to assign the day's patrols soon, and the dawn patrol might already be out."

"Thanks for showing me around, Millie," said Link as the two climbed down from the slope.

"No problem," said Millie with a smile. Then she halted. "Do you smell that?" Link opened his mouth to scent the air, tipping his head to the side, perplexed.

"That's WindClan scent, right?" he asked.

"Yes," Millie said with a nod. "On _our_ side of the border."

"I thought warriors weren't supposed to go on another Clan's territory?"

"They aren't," replied Millie, slight graveness in her tone.

Something was not right.

--~-~-~--

**Post-Notes:** I almost drove my friends mad with cliffhangers. Count yourself lucky that I have the next chapter right here! Anyway, I'd appreciate it if you would review, thanks.

--Your good buddy,

**Player4**


	4. Chapter 3: Hunting and Odd News

**Author's Notes:** Here comes chapter three! Please read, review, and enjoy. I like to know that people enjoy my writing, and I can't know unless you tell me!

**Disclaimer:** I STILL don't own either Warriors or Zelda.

--~-~-~--

**Chapter 3: Hunting and Odd News**

"Why would WindClan be on this side?" Millie wondered out loud. "They must be up to something, but what?" It was definitely a cause for alarm.

Link and Millie had caught scent of WindClan on the ThunderClan side of the border, and now the two were nosing around, trying to find any information useful.

"It seems they just crossed the territory, walked around, and left," said Link. "But why would they do that...?"

"I'm not sure," said Millie with a frown, "but we need to report this to Firestar." They nodded to each other, and bounded off through the forest that was becoming increasingly familiar to Link.

The camp was stirring slightly as cats rose from their nests and exited their dens. The dawn patrol had left not long ago towards the ShadowClan border, and a morning hunting patrol was being organized. Firestar was in the middle of the clearing, assigning warriors to the daily jobs.

"Firestar!" Millie called as she and Link entered the clearing. The ginger tom looked up, green eyes curious. "Link and I found WindClan scent on our side of the border!"

"Really?" asked the leader, instantly on his feet and alert. "I'll send a group to investigate further. In the meantime, Link, would you like to go on a hunting patrol?"

"Me?" asked Link, tipping his head to the side.

"If you're going to be in ThunderClan," the leader spoke, "you're going to have to learn to hunt like a ThunderClan cat. You'll go on the patrol with Sandstorm, Cloudtail, Lionblaze, and Berrynose." Firestar indicated with his tail a group of four cats that were gathered near the thorn tunnel. Link nodded in reply.

"Bye, Millie," he said as he turned around to head out.

"See you, Link," said Millie with a smile.

Link approached the group of cats, feeling a little shy around the four experienced warriors.

"Firestar says I'm supposed to go on the hunting patrol with you," he spoke quietly. Sandstorm, a pale ginger she-cat, stepped forward.

"I'm leading the patrol," she said with a flick of her tail. "I'll show you how to hunt like a Clan cat. You'll get the hang of it, I'm sure."

With that, the she-cat turned around and headed through the tunnel. The rest of the cats followed, with Link at the end of the group. Link felt his paws tingle a little at the thought of his first hunting patrol with the warriors.

_I just hope I don't make a fool of myself!_ he thought. It would be difficult to earn the respect of the Clan cats if he was stumbling on his paws and scaring off the prey.

Not much was said as the cats traveled through the woods. They were headed off in the direction of ShadowClan, and this part of the forest was still new to Link. They traveled on a path, one probably created from extensive walking down that way. Link could hear the scurrying of tiny claws over the leaf-covered ground, small forest creatures going out to find food. Link found himself scrunching his nose up at the thought of hunting them. When he was a wolf he could talk to the animals, and it would be a difficult thing to kill them once he saw that they had personalities and families. He couldn't talk to any of the animals here though, and that seemed for the better.

"Okay," said Sandstorm, halting the patrol in a small clearing. "We'll hunt in this area for now." The group disbanded, the warriors going their different ways into the woods. Sandstorm was left, and she turned around to look at Link. "ThunderClan cats are known for their stalking skills, and they use the undergrowth to their advantage when hunting prey. This is a basic technique, the hunter's crouch." Sandstorm dropped to a crouch, her belly pressing to the earth and her tail held still. She crept forward silently, then got up. "Now you try."

Link crouched down, trying to imitate the she-cat's moves as best as possible.

"Not bad," said Sandstorm, "but keep your tail still. If it rustles the bushes while you're stalking, you'll scare off the prey." Link silenced his tail. "Better. Now try to move forward without making a sound."

Link stepped forward soundlessly, or close to it. As he walked, though, a twig snapped under the weight of his back paw.

"Watch out for sticks and twigs," Sandstorm cautioned. "If you were stalking prey right now, it would've run away." Link nodded and tried again, this time watching out for anything that could make a sound under his paws. "That's the idea," said Sandstorm with a nod of approval. "See that leaf over there?" she asked, motioning with her tail. "Try to pounce on it. Time your jump well, and make sure you know the distance."

Link saw the leaf that she mentioned lying a few feet in front of him. He crouched and moved forward, until he was fairly sure that he was at a good jumping distance. He pounced, bringing his front paws squarely down on the leaf. It was slightly instinctual, just like when he had first transformed into a wolf.

"Not bad at all," remarked the ginger warrior. "Now let's see if you can do that with real prey. Here, do you smell anything?"

"A mouse," said Link after a short pause, "in the bushes over there."

"Right. Now as I said before, use the undergrowth to your advantage."

Link crept under the brambles, dropping once more into the hunter's crouch. He snuck quietly through the bushes, keeping his tail as still as possible. He spotted the mouse, but it didn't see him. Getting as close as he dared, he prepared to jump. Springing into the air, he came down with a light _thud!_ right onto the mouse. He quickly bit its neck before it could make an alarm call and scare off the other prey.

"Good kill," said Sandstorm from behind him. "With leaf-fall and leaf-bare fast approaching, prey will become scarcer and scarcer. We need all the fresh-kill we can get."

Link assumed that "leaf-fall" and "leaf-bare" meant "autumn" and "winter" to the warrior cats. What she said was true. A few of the leaves were already beginning to turn red and brown.

"Well," spoke Sandstorm again, "I think you can take it on your own from here. Just dig a hole to store your prey until you can get back to it." With a nod to the tortoiseshell, the she-cat bounded through the woods and out of sight.

---~-~---

It had been a rather successful hunting trip. Cloudtail and Berrynose had each caught some mice and voles, Lionblaze brought back a plump squirrel and a few larks, Link brought his mouse and a vole, and Sandstorm had brought back four huge mice. She almost couldn't carry them all back to the camp. The patrol set its prey on the fresh-kill pile, each warrior taking a piece of prey for themselves.

"Go ahead and take one, Link," said Sandstorm. "Cats can only take prey after first feeding the Clan, and you've done your part."

Link nodded, feeling a little proud of himself. He selected his first ever prey, but hesitated slightly before biting into the mouse. He had never eaten meat _raw_ before. What if the animal was sick? The other warriors didn't seem to mind, and they happily munched on their fresh-kill. Link took a slow bite into the mouse, feeling his teeth break the skin and arteries. His teeth hit bone, sending a small shiver up his spine. Did he really want to eat this? Well, there was no other food source around, so he had no choice. He took another hesitant bite, slowly chewing the meat and swallowing.

_Wow..._ he thought. _It tastes...good!_

He ate a little faster now, knowing fully well that if he were a Hylian, the meal would've sickened him to no end. But as a cat, the flavor was a whole new thing to him. He finished his prey and licked his whiskers, looking around the clearing. Cats were burying the bones of the eaten kills, so Link followed suit. Now the other cats were washing themselves and each other. Link thought the concept was a little counter-intuitive...washing yourself with your own spit. But it was a cat thing to do, and as long as he was going to be a cat, he had to at least give it a try. He licked his left paw, drawing it back over his head and ears.

Across the clearing, Link was being watched curiously by Lionblaze. Lionblaze had spotted the minute hesitation in the loner as he first bit into his prey, however slight it was.

_Why would he pause?_ Lionblaze questioned. _What, was he eating kittypet food before he came here? He doesn't smell like kittypet though...in fact, he smells kinda odd._

Lionblaze's brother, Jayfeather, had told him that he was suspicious of the golden tortoiseshell. There was something weird about that cat, and the blind tom had been intent on finding out what.

"What're you looking at, Lionblaze?" It was Hollyleaf, Lionblaze's sister. Her bright green eyes were curious as she trotted over to her brother.

"It's that loner, Link."

"What about him?"

"Well...have you noticed anything strange about him?"

"Aside from the smell, not really." Hollyleaf tipped her head to the side. "Has Jayfeather said anything?"

"Yeah, he thinks there's something weird about that loner too. Jayfeather says he smells like..._wolf_."

"Really?" Hollyleaf asked, eyes widening.

"Yeah. I can't smell it, but you know how keen Jayfeather's senses are. I trust him on what he says."

"What do you think he'd have to do with wolves?" Hollyleaf wondered aloud.

"I don't know..." The two siblings sat, eyeing the golden tom curiously. What was he hiding?

---~-~---

Jayfeather, Hollyleaf, and Lionblaze walked with the group of cats down the strip of sand near the lake. The full moon shone down brightly, setting the waves that lapped the shore alight with silver. Silverpelt twinkled down from above, the spirits of their warrior ancestors watching closely on the night of the Gathering. Hollyleaf looked up as the island ahead became more defined, and soon enough, the ThunderClan cats were at the tree bridge. They crossed one by one, sure of their footing. Hollyleaf remembered the first time she crossed the tree bridge, and how she nearly fell off into the icy water. She was used to it now, though, and falling was no longer a worry.

RiverClan and ShadowClan were already in the clearing, chattering excitedly as old friends saw each other once more. The ThunderClan warriors entered the throng of gathered cats, blending right in to the assembled groups. Elders told stories to wide-eyed apprentices, cats shared tongues and gossiped, and a low buzz seemed to vibrate the very air itself. Hollyleaf stood with her brothers, looking up at the moon that was reaching its highest point in the sky.

_Where is WindClan?_ she wondered. _It's not natural for them to take this long..._

A large rustling in the bushes behind her signaled the arrival of the fourth and final Clan. There was something odd about their appearance, though. Their eyes were wide, and their fur was ragged and unkempt. Something had spooked them, very much. Onestar made no hesitation to jump onto a low branch of one of the tall trees, and the other leaders followed. The brown tabby tom yowled, signaling the start of the Gathering.

News was shared by the leaders of new kits and warriors, and a few introductions were made. Onestar, however, kneaded the branch with his forepaws in anxiety the whole time. What was going on with the WindClan cats?

"Now then," Firestar spoke sternly, "WindClan scent was found on the ThunderClan side of the border. Onestar, what is the meaning of this?"

The other leader didn't speak for a moment, eyes trained on the branch under him. He then lifted up his head, bright eyes hard.

"I and a few of my warriors spotted a strange creature while out on a patrol. One of the apprentices got a little too excited in trying to chase it off the territory, and ran right onto ThunderClan. It will not happen again."

"Strange creature?" asked Firestar. "Would you care to elaborate?"

"It was almost like a Twoleg kit, with black and white markings and fiery red fur on the top of its head. It wore a strange thing on its head, and its eyes were red like blood. And...it floated above the ground."

"_Floated_?" Firestar asked incredulously. "Are you sure?"

"Positive!" Onestar spoke, somewhat indignantly. "It moved around freely, its feet not once touching the ground! It seemed to be looking for something, and it called out in a strange voice. We couldn't tell what it was saying before we...drove it off." Something about the way he spoke let on that "driving it off" wasn't exactly how the situation played out. However, he would speak no further on the matter. He merely hopped down from the branch, ending the Gathering.

The WindClan cats left the clearing immediately, leaving confused meows in their wake. The island was buzzing even more so now than at the start of the Gathering. Hollyleaf didn't know _what_ to think now, but the whole thing seemed pretty hard to swallow. A floating Twoleg kit? The more she thought about it, the more completely mousebrained it seemed. With a sigh, she followed the ThunderClan cats as they headed off the island and back to their camp. She and her brothers didn't say much as they left, each cat's mind far too preoccupied for conversation.

---~-~---

Jayfeather had a suspicion.

The warriors had just gotten back from the Gathering, and the cats that had remained at camp were beginning to rise from their nests and greet them. The attending warriors passed on news and gossip to the others who didn't go to the island, and surprisingly, Onestar's peculiar news didn't show up very much.

_They probably think it's absolute nonsense,_ he thought to himself. _But I wonder..._

Jayfeather found the scent of Link on the edge of the clearing, and the tom was sitting alone.

_Perfect,_ the blind cat thought with a small smile.

"Hey, Link," called Jayfeather as he approached the tortoiseshell.

"Yes?" asked the loner curiously.

"You'll _never_ guess what the leader of WindClan said at the Gathering!" spoke Jayfeather as he sat down near Link. "He said that his patrol spotted a weird creature near the border. It was the size of a Twoleg kit, had black and white markings, and _floated_. Of all the mousebrained ideas!"

Jayfeather heard Link stiffen suddenly at his words.

_Aha, I knew it! He_ does _know something about that creature! And I bet it has to do with that Twoleg that appeared in his dream, too. The one that spoke cat..._

"Yeah," said Link after a moment. His voice was shaking ever so slightly with excitement that he was trying his hardest to mask. Link seemed a fair liar, and if it weren't for Jayfeather's heightened sense of hearing, he probably wouldn't have noticed anything unusual about the tom's voice. "That's pretty weird. I wonder where he dreamed that out of?"

Jayfeather nodded and walked away, eager to tell his siblings what he learned. Thankfully, no cats were near them, but he kept a hushed voice just to be safe.

"I talked to Link about what Onestar said at the Gathering," he spoke hurriedly.

"And?" questioned Lionblaze, knowing something significant was coming.

"He got all stiff, and when he spoke again, there was excitement in his voice. He was trying to hide it though, which makes me all the more suspicious. Obviously, he knows something about that creature that he's doing his best to keep a secret."

Lionblaze and Hollyleaf were silent for a moment, not sure what to say to that.

"What could it mean?" Hollyleaf wondered out loud.

"I don't know yet," said Jayfeather, shaking his head. "It only makes me more determined to find out what he's hiding."

The three siblings sat together a little while longer under the moon, then went back to their nests.

---~-~---

Link couldn't sleep, and he only stared up at the sky above him.

_That must've been Midna that the patrol saw! It had to be! No other being I know floats and has those markings. She must be here, looking for me. And from the sound of it, she's close by...Midna, where are you?_

Link closed his eyes, and after a period that seemed like ages, he slowly drifted into a very restless slumber.

--~-~-~--

**Post-Notes:** -gahasp!- Could it be? Midna?! Oooooh... Thanks for reading, I hope you liked it!

--Your good buddy,

**Player4**


	5. Chapter 4: Training and Triangles

**Author's Notes:** _Slight overuse of italics in the first part of this chapter. OH WELL._ Remember who you saw hinted at (well, more than that, I practically screamed it at you) in the last chapter? That character was going to make an appearance much later, but...I just got too exited and had to do something now! Wait, I didn't put an antecedent in the first portion of the chapter here? Have I gone mad? No, I did that on purpose. Anyway, here's chapter four. Read, review, and enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** Erin Hunter, Nintendo, you lucky devils! -grumbles- I don't own Warriors or Zelda.

--~-~-~--

**Chapter 4: Training and Triangles**

A large, glowing, orange hand picked up a small stone off the leaf-strewn ground, tossing it lightly in the air before catching it once more. Then, in a sudden fit of frustration, the hand (or the owner, rather) chucked the stone hard into the lake. It broke the surface with a resounding _splash_, scattering moon-filled water droplets in all directions. She _knew_ he was here. But...this place was filled with _cats_! Cats, every-stinking-where! They weren't a problem, really, just a nuisance, and one easily brushed away with a simple flick of the hand...hair. No, the problem was one considerably larger. Really, how hard should it be to locate a guy in a green tunic with a legendary sword?! Apparently, very hard. But she _needed_ him!

_No, no, no!_ she thought. _I only need him to find the mirror fragments! I_ don't _miss him, and I'm not in the_ least _bit worried! Really...!_

...Maybe a _little_, but that was _all_! Slowly, all of the resolve and defiance began to ebb. What if...what if something _had_ happened? She shut her eyes tightly and shook her head furiously, trying as hard as possible to dislodge the inconceivable thought. NO. No, nothing happened! It...it just...it can't! It just _can't_! Heaving a ragged sigh, she floated down to the ground. A hole was there, covered quite nicely by the thick bushes. It was rather spacious, probably a large fox den, but the fox was long gone.

_A little dirty for my tastes,_ she thought with a frown, _but at least it's shelter. Something versus nothing._ She crawled inside, trying to make herself as cozy as possible in the leaves and soil. As she tried to let sleep come to her, one thought buzzed around continually in her head. _Wolf fur is much more comfortable..._

Everything was a blur. She wondered if she got any sleep at all that night.

---~-~---

"Hey, Link, wake up!" The tortoiseshell felt a paw prodding his side, and he drowsily blinked open his eyes in response. A broad gray blur was standing over him, and as his eyes adjusted slowly, he found that it was Graystripe. "Firestar wants you to work on your battle skills," the gray tom spoke, "and he asked me to help you."

"Okay," replied Link, his voice clearly displaying his lack of wakefulness. He got up, stretched briefly, and quickly shook the leaves from his pelt. Autumn, or leaf-fall, was just beginning, and the hollow was becoming littered with red and gold leaves.

"I'll show you where the training hollow is. It's a nice, flat area for practicing battle moves where you won't be getting in the way of anybody." Link only nodded in reply to the gray warrior, who then led him out of the camp and into the forest.

---~-~---

"No, no, not like that," said Graystripe, shaking his head. "And don't be afraid to hurt me, because as long as your claws are sheathed, you won't. Here, try it again. Make sure you know the exact time when to strike."

The dark tom charged Link, who stood waiting for the right moment. When the warrior was upon him, he quickly struck out his left paw before immediately jumping to the right. Graystripe stumbled to the left, and before he could recover, Link knocked him to the ground with his side. This was no easy feat, considering the gray warrior was broader and more muscular than Link.

"That's it," said Graystripe with approval. He got up and shook himself lightly. "You're pretty good with offensive moves. You've obviously fought before. You're just out of your element, am I right?"

"Er, yeah," said Link a little quietly, trying not to betray with his voice exactly how out of his element he was. "ThunderClan cats fight...much differently than what I'm used to."

"Can you show me something you do?" asked Graystripe, curious now.

"Sure. This is one move I used to use to get out of a tight spot."

Link crouched, his left paw stuck out a little to the side and his back legs pulled considerably far in for a spring. In a whirl of movement, he spun quickly around in the air, lashing out with his paws in all directions before landing hard once more on his feet. It was different in wolf form, and he didn't jump as high or travel all the way around in the circle, but considering the extremes of the two species, it was very similar.

"I'd do that if I was surrounded on all sides by enemies. They'd all get knocked backwards, giving me some fighting room."

"You've ticked off enough cats to get surrounded on all sides?" asked Graystripe with a chuckle. "What did you do?"

"A specific someone," Link began, casting a few sideways glances and feeling his ears grow hot, "absolutely hates my guts."

"Then we should probably keep working on battle moves," replied Graystripe with a slight grin. He was even more curious now, though, but he knew it wasn't his business. If the tortoiseshell wanted to talk about it, then he would. Until then, Graystripe wouldn't ask any questions.

"That was a pretty good battle session," said the gray warrior with an approving nod. Both toms were a little out of breath, although Link more so than Graystripe. He had practiced hard and gave his best effort, and it absolutely showed. Plus, his prior skills had been an invaluable help. "I guess we can hunt now and bring something back to camp." With a nod to the golden tom, Graystripe headed off after the scent of vole.

Link opened his jaws, letting the smells of the forest wash over his scent glands. He found a new scent, one that was familiar and strange at the same time. He dipped his head to the ground, following it closely. The scent became stronger as he trotted along, leading him to a small clearing. Midday, or sunhigh, had recently passed, and warm sunlight shone brightly down from the brilliant sky. A figure lay sleeping on the other side of the clearing, and as Link squinted his deep blue eyes to get a better view, he felt his jaw slacken.

An imp. With black and white markings. Reddish-orange hair. And a gray helmet.

Before he could react, he felt his paws racing like the speed of sound towards the small figure.

She rose, rubbing the sleep out of her visible eye with a yawn. Looking across the clearing, she saw some yellow and brown cat running towards her. What? Oh, not _another_ one! Didn't they learn before that they couldn't stand a chance against her? But wait, this one didn't look like it was running to fight her or chase her off. No...this cat looked absolutely _delighted_ to see her! That was even worse! Didn't she look scary? Menacing? Frightening? Intimidating? At _all_?! Well, she would sure fix that cat's views!

Her ponytail began to glow brightly, and it shot up into the air, forming a giant orange hand. The cat skidded to a stop, confusion in its big eyes. Big blue eyes, deep and shining and altogether too painstakingly a likeness. They were so...so like _his_, that it almost made her falter. The one she was searching all over this cat-infested area for. She curled her lip in frustration and disgust, preparing to strike. The cat, still thoroughly confused, began to back up.

_No you don't, not after you have the gall to approach me like that!_

"Stupid cat!"

Orange hand gave a powerful swat, connecting with furry side and sending the cat flying several yards away. It reached the trees at least, rolling quite a few feet into the bushes from there.

_Okay, that might've been just a little harsh,_ she thought as she heard the cat's body hit hard against the forest floor, _but I don't have time for this nonsense! I thought...that finding him would be so easy...uurgh! Where are you, you stupid hero?!_

It had all happened too quickly for him to react. And suddenly, he was flying across the clearing, hitting the ground with a _thump!_ multiple times and swearing loudly with each one.

"Din! Nayru! Farore!" He felt his left leg twist painfully in several ways it shouldn't, and he was grateful as he finally came to a rest in a clump of grass. Blood trickled out of several new cuts on his sides, and he figured he'd consider himself lucky if he only had five bruises. He groaned, not wishing to get up in the least and dreading when he would have to do so. Why...?

_Of course, you idiot,_ he thought with too-late realization. _You're a cat for crying out loud! How in Hyrule was she supposed to know it was you?! But no, you had to run off and be stupid..._

"Link!" came a startled voice. It was Graystripe, who was running through the trees with his fur fluffed out. His speech was broken by heavy breathing. "I saw...from the other side...it attacked you...that thing! Onestar said! ...Woa, you need to see Leafpool! Can you get up alright?"

Shutting his eyes tightly, Link slowly rose onto his three good paws. He ached all over, but he could walk.

"I've...had worse," he said after a moment. "Much worse. I'll manage."

"That's good, I suppose," said the gray warrior quietly, though he still didn't sound convinced. He stood close to the loner as the two made it back to ThunderClan camp, in case the tom should falter. Graystripe noticed how surprisingly well Link seemed to be doing for his injuries. Hopefully they weren't too bad after all. At last, the thorn barrier of the camp was in sight. Graystripe heard a low sigh of relief from the tom next to him, barely audible. "I'll go ahead and tell Leafpool you're here," said the warrior before bounding off ahead.

"Graystripe?" Link heard from the medicine den as he managed to walk in that general direction. Warriors were all turning around to look at him, some surprised, some concerned, and others impossible to tell. "It's Link," spoke the voice of the gray tom.

"I heard you were helping him train his battle skills today," came the voice of the medicine cat, Leafpool. "You didn't rough him up too badly I hope!"

"_I_ didn't, but...oh, Firestar's going to need to hear this too." There was a pause after his words before Leafpool spoke again.

"Rosekit, will you fetch Firestar for me? Tell him I need him here."

"Right away!" squeaked the voice of a young cat. Link saw the little dark cream kit scoot out of the entrance to the den, the little one barely paying him any attention as she raced to complete her important task. Leafpool had just noticed he was there.

"What happened to you?" she asked. "You look like you've had an argument with a fox!" As Link opened his mouth to reply, Leafpool cut him off. "No, wait, save it for Firestar," she said. "Lie down on this moss, right here." Link would have shrugged if the effort didn't send waves of pain down his shoulders, and he settled down shakily on the indicated moss nest. Just then Rosekit returned, followed by the ThunderClan leader. He cast his bright green eyes on Link, who by now was feeling uncomfortable with being the center of attention.

"What happened?" he asked, throwing a questioning glance at his best friend, Graystripe.

"Well, we were out in the forest near the ShadowClan border," began the gray tom, "and we had just finished the battle training. The two of us went off to hunt a little, and when I came back, I was there just in time to see this..._thing_ attack Link! It was black and white, looked like a Twoleg kit, and it floated, just like Onestar said! It...made a Twoleg paw out of the fur on its head, and swatted Link away as easily as a fly. He must've flown seven fox-lengths! Not to mention he bounced and rolled a little farther after that."

Four sets of cat eyes were upon him, and Link only nodded sheepishly in conformation. It was just as Graystripe had said... Why did he even try...? He scrunched his eyes tightly as Leafpool began poking around his side and underbelly, trying not to wince as she managed to find and prod every bruise he had gained. Wow. Only five. He _was_ lucky.

"Tell me if this hurts," said Leafpool. She twisted his left paw around carefully.

"Din's Fire!!" he heard himself yowling.

"I'll take that as a yes," said Leafpool, still evaluating his injuries. "Amazing..." she said, sitting back.

"What?"

"From what Graystripe has described," Leafpool began, "and I don't doubt his words, you took a huge beating. From something like _that_, I would expect a cat to have several sprains and at least one broken bone, if not two. Your worst injuries, however, are some good-sized bruises and a very slightly sprained paw." Leafpool paused to let that knowledge sink in.

Link looked at the Triforce on his paw, knowing fully well that the Triforce of Courage was housed inside him. He silently thanked the goddess Farore for her protection.

"I'm going to call a Clan meeting," said Firestar after a brief moment of thought. "We have to watch out for this new threat. Graystripe, will you come with me? Other than Link, you're the only one who saw it." Graystripe nodded, and the two cats walked out of the den.

"Who's Din?" Rosekit asked Link. She had been so quiet Link thought she had left already.

"Well, you know how you cats believe in StarClan?" At least, Link _thought_ it was StarClan. He had heard it a few times around the camp, but he could've heard wrong. He found he was right, though, when the little kit nodded her head vigorously.

"Yeah, they watch down on us from the night sky! Who _doesn't_ believe in StarClan, anyway?"

"I don't," Link said plainly. He saw Rosekit's eyes widen and her jaw drop.

"_What_? You _have_ to believe in StarClan! What would you do otherwise?!"

"Where I come from, in Hyrule," Link began, "three goddesses watch over the lands. Their names are Din, Nayru, and Farore. They protect us and offer us blessings and insight, a lot like your StarClan. That's what the...cats of Hyrule believe." He caught himself quickly in his last few words. It wouldn't be good if he went and said he was a human, or Twoleg, now would it?

"That's...weird," Rosekit proclaimed after thinking it over.

"Now don't be rude, Rosekit," Leafpool scolded. "Why don't you run off with your brother and play now, okay?" Rosekit nodded and strode briskly out of the den.

Jayfeather, who had been arranging herbs silently in the back of the den, was mulling things over. _Farore...that's the name of the Twoleg that visited Link in his dream! But...why would Hyrule's 'goddesses' be Twolegs? Why not cats? And why would a Twoleg come to a cat in a dream anyway?_

"Jayfeather?" Leafpool's voice broke into the blind cat's thoughts. "I'm going to gather some herbs. Would you take a look at Link's paw for me?"

"I don't think it would do him any good if _I_ looked at it," Jayfeather said, rolling his sightless eyes, "but I'll _tend_ to it." He walked purposefully to the front of the den.

"That's an interesting pattern you have on your paw, Link," Leafpool said, ignoring the comment. "Three triangles...I've never seen a mark like that before."

Jayfeather pricked his ears up instantly, halting. Across the way, he heard Link stiffen in his nest.

"Er...yeah," the tom said, almost uncomfortably. "Just something I was born with..." Jayfeather heard him twitch his tail awkwardly. There was a deeper meaning in those words, meaning that he was intent on hiding.

Wait a minute... _Three triangles? That marking was all over the Twoleg ruins! Where Farore came to Link... What does it mean? There's no mistaking now, they're obviously connected in some way. But what way?_

"I'll be off now," said Leafpool. Her tone was casual; she must not have noticed Link's sudden discomfort at her words. He _was_ rather good at hiding his emotions, after all. "There's new catmint growing by the old Twoleg nest, and I want to stock up before leafbare arrives." Jayfeather heard her leave the den.

He walked cautiously over to Link, and bent down to assess the sprain on the loner's paw. He began to nose the injury carefully.

Then it happened.

A flash of gray streaked across his blind gaze. He brought his head back, and it was gone. Puzzled, he touched his nose to Link's paw once more. Suddenly, more gray assaulted his vision.

Vision.

The gray fog took shape, and almost instantly became perfectly defined. It was Leafpool's den, with a tortoiseshell sitting on a nest made of moss. The tortoiseshell was looking at him with slight concern in his eyes. And Jayfeather could _see_ it.

The blind cat staggered on his paws, and as his connection broke with the marked paw, the everlasting night of blindness took over once more. What _was_ that?! He felt himself stumble to the ground.

"Jayfeather, are you alright?"

He saw. He touched the triangular markings, and he _saw_. And now he felt extremely dizzy. So dizzy, in fact, he felt he was going to be sick.

"Jayfeather?!" was the last thing he heard before his head hit the ground.

--~-~-~--

**Post-Notes:** Looking back on these chapters, I realize that I kinda spam the cliffhangers. That probably won't change.

Anyway...the cake is a lie! Isn't that so tragic?!?! D:

You wouldn't believe how absolutely awful it's been writing each word of this. I. Have. No. Muse. WHATSOEVER. The fact that I'm still sick really doesn't help in the slightest. Meh. Look forward to chapter five!

--Your good buddy,

**Player4**


	6. Chapter 5: A Brush with the Shadows

**Author's Notes:** Okay, I've gotten over the fact that the cake is a lie...not really...and am writing chapter five. You probably want it badly after the ending I just left you! Either that or you're just staring at your computer screen wondering why the heck you're reading this crud. I hope it isn't the latter! Anyway, please read, review, and enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** Nope. Still don't own Warriors or Zelda. Nnhhh...

--~-~-~--

**Chapter 5: A Brush with the Shadows**

"Jayfeather? Jayfeather are you alright?"

Jayfeather flicked open his eyes, finding absolutely no difference between having them closed and opened.

"Ungh," he groaned, "what just happened?"

"You just...passed out all of a sudden," spoke the voice of the loner. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know," Jayfeather said honestly. Then he lied. "I really haven't been getting a lot of sleep lately. I don't know what it is."

_Somehow,_ Link thought skeptically, _I don't believe that. He seemed perfectly energetic less than four minutes ago._ He frowned, and tried to dismiss the thought. He couldn't shake it though, and only flicked his tail in annoyance.

Jayfeather marched purposefully out of the medicine cat's den. The loner could fix his own paw, for all he cared. He _needed_ to talk to Lionblaze and Hollyleaf. Besides, it wasn't like he was intent on going anywhere near that paw any time before the next moon at least. He smelled Hollyleaf's scent nearby, and Lionblaze's across the way. He called out to his brother, who he heard heading over his way. Jayfeather almost ran over to his sister then, who was sharing tongues with Sorreltail. Lionblaze came to stand at his side then as Jayfeather turned to face his other littermate.

"Hollyleaf," Jayfeather meowed, seriousness in his voice. Sorreltail took the hint and left the area.

"Yes?" Hollyleaf asked cautiously, looking at her brothers and knowing that something was definitely going on.

"I have to tell both of you. About that loner, Link," he began. "I told you that I walked in his dreams, and I saw the same triangular markings all over the Twoleg ruins?"

"Yes..." replied Lionblaze tentatively. "Go on."

"He has an identical marking on one of his front paws." Jayfeather broke into his sister's surprised response, cutting her off. "That wasn't the real important thing though." He then dropped his voice to just above a whisper. "When I touched that mark...I could _see_."

Hollyleaf and Lionblaze were silent, and Jayfeather could almost imagine the wide-eyed looks on their faces.

"That's...it...just...wow."

"But here's another thing! I told you about that Twoleg in his dream, the one that knew I was there? Well, Rosekit had asked Link if he believed in StarClan, and he said no. He said the 'StarClan' of the cats of Hyrule is just three cats, Din, Nayru, and Farore. Farore was the name of the Twoleg that came to him."

"But...that's impossible!" Hollyleaf mewed. "Twolegs can't walk the skies of cats! It must be just a common name..."

"But the Twoleg Farore spoke cat," Jayfeather pointed out.

"Could...they...change forms or something?"

"Why would a cat _want_ to be a Twoleg?" Jayfeather asked in disgust. "Besides, there's no such thing as changing your form. Not even StarClan can do that." Although lately, Jayfeather had been doubting the power of StarClan, changing your shape seemed like a totally mousebrained idea. It couldn't be done!

The three siblings eyed the loner suspiciously as he emerged from Leafpool's den. He was favoring his sprained paw, but other than that his injuries didn't seem to faze him.

"That's another thing," Jayfeather spoke, eyes narrowed. "He gets flung across the forest, and all he gets are a few bruises and a sprain!" Three sets of eyes focused hard on the golden tom, as if they would get the answers out of him that way. No such luck.

All cats looked up as a crashing sound came from the thorn barrier. It was Berrynose, who stumbled through the tunnel gasping for breath. His fur was fluffed out and ragged, and his eyes were wide and glazed with fear. He tried to speak, but no words would form from his hoarse throat.

"What is it, Berrynose?" asked Firestar somewhat anxiously as he darted over. Berrynose caught his breath slowly, but his fur remained on end.

"Strange cats," he gasped. "All black, with gray faces, and blood-red eyes! They had red streaks going up their forearms, and they were _huge_! I...I couldn't fight them!" He sank to the ground, eyes focused hard into the distance as if he were viewing the terrifying cats at that very moment.

Link had been quiet the whole time, an inexplicable expression on his face.

"No..." he meowed so quietly that only the three siblings could hear him. "Not here, not now...Rrrgh!" He looked at the thorn tunnel, fire blazing in his cobalt eyes. Keeping the least amount of weight possible on his left paw, he bounded out through the barrier of the camp. Nobody noticed him leave except for Hollyleaf, Lionblaze, and Jayfeather; all the attention was on Berrynose and the commotion in the middle of the camp.

"It figures he would know something about those weird cats!" Hollyleaf mewed quickly to her brothers. "Let's follow him before someone notices!" Brothers and sister hurried off after the loner.

---~-~---

Link dashed as quickly as he could with a sprained paw through the undergrowth. Only he knew what those cats really were, and he was _not_ about to let them stay in this forest and harm the warriors!

_They're after me anyway,_ he thought angrily. He recalled the words of one of the light spirits back in Hyrule. _"Beware...the darkness now hunts you."_

By his last breath, Twilight would _never_ spread an inch in this land!

He didn't need his scent to locate the shadow cats. He could smell evil for miles. The acrid stench filled his scent glands now, only aggravating him further. They were near WindClan if his senses served him, and he was certain they did. His left paw was throbbing madly, but he didn't care. He broke through the bushes, recognizing instantly the river that marked the border between ThunderClan and WindClan. And upriver on the ThunderClan side...were the shadow cats. There were only two of them, but Link knew he couldn't get cocky. He didn't have Midna to help him here.

Come to think of it, how could he kill them at the same time without Midna? He'd have to get them stunned and near each other, and be very precise with his claws. He could do it though...he had to. There was no other option. He felt something rise up deep within him, aching to be released and let loose into the air. He parted his jaws and yowled, a piercing caterwaul that seemed to rip the very sky in two. The shadow cats spun around, thinning their glowing crimson eyes at their new target. They began to charge, racing faster than any normal cat. But these weren't normal cats; they were shadow beasts.

One of the cats, which was easily double Link's size, took a swing at his head. He dodged it without difficulty, quickly countering with a blow to the dark cat's legs. That move was meant to make his adversary lose its balance, but the sheer weight of the cat kept it on its paws. The second cat was upon him now as well, and that made things a little more difficult. It wasn't too hard to avoid their attacks, though. Even with new cat bodies, they were the same, stupid shadow beasts.

Link sprang with his powerful hind legs, latching onto one of the cats with his claws. He sank his teeth deep into its shoulder, making it yowl with rage. It shook vigorously, and despite Link's best efforts to hold on, he was tossed to the side easily. He landed squarely on all four paws, making him wince as his sprained paw connected with the ground. He grit his teeth as the cats charged him again.

_These things are so dense! Don't they have any other moves?_

With a yowl of defiance, Link engaged the shadow cats once more.

At that moment, Lionblaze, Hollyleaf, and Jayfeather made it to the edge of the trees. Lionblaze was in the lead, and Hollyleaf and Jayfeather were panting. The three came to rest in the bushes, trying to catch their breaths.

"StarClan," remarked Hollyleaf, "he's so _fast_! Even with that paw, Lionblaze could hardly keep up with him!"

"It's not natural," Jayfeather spoke plainly.

"Wait," hushed Lionblaze, "he's down there in the clearing! Great StarClan...what are those things?!" Shock was apparent in his mew.

"I..." Hollyleaf began, "I don't know...but it's just as Berrynose said...and they're _massive_! How is he holding his own against them?!"

"How big are they?" asked Jayfeather.

"They're twice his size! The only other cat I've ever seen with the ability to hold a fight like that is Lionblaze." She looked at her brother, who was staring down into the clearing.

The loner managed to stun one of the dark cats with a powerful blow to the head. He rounded on the other one, unleashing a fury of slashes on its face. It fell to the ground with a thud, just as the first one began to get up. Frustration flashed across the tortoiseshell's face, and he bit down hard into its neck. He struggled to drag it by the scruff to the other cat, placing one paw on each of the dark cat's necks and digging in his claws.

"What's he doing?" asked Hollyleaf.

"How should I know?" retorted her blind brother.

The tom drove his claws deep into the necks of the two cats. Or tried to. As he was preparing to take the life of the cats beneath his claws, a jolt of pain rushed up his sprained paw. By reflex he snapped that paw to his side, then realized his mistake.

"No! Crud, stupid timing!"

The dark cat on his right shuddered and perished, but the cat on his left remained alive.

"He killed one!" mewed Lionblaze. "Why's he upset?"

His question was answered as the living attacker rose to its full height, letting loose an ear-piercing shriek. It wasn't natural...and made the three siblings cringe inward with fear and horror.

"Why do I feel so stiff all of a sudden?" Hollyleaf mewed fearfully.

"I'm having trouble moving!" hissed Jayfeather. Lionblaze said nothing, only flicking his ears in frustration and slowly lifting his paws one by one.

The loner didn't even seem to be able to move at all. He stood, paralyzed, the only visual clues that he was trying to move being his twitching fur and frustrated expression. Then, to the siblings' utter terror, the previously slain cat shivered...and rose. It...was alive once more.

"Im-_poss_-i-ble!" Hollyleaf broke the word into syllables.

The tortoiseshell tom, still immobile in the clearing, hissed in frustration as the dark cat that had shrieked reared up into the air...and using its momentum and weight brought down its front paws hard on his head. His eyelids fluttered, and he slumped to the ground.

"That blow..." Lionblaze almost whispered. "All that power... He's...gotta be..." the young tom couldn't bring himself to say it.

Then, a miraculous thing happened. The loner's ears swiveled, and he weakly lifted his head.

"How in StarClan did he survive _that_?!" Hollyleaf exclaimed.

The shadow cat yowled, seeing that its quarry still lived. It forced its paws down on the tortoiseshell's chest and neck, effectively keeping the smaller cat from getting up.

It may have been a trick of the eyes, but Hollyleaf thought she saw a light flash by the loner's injured paw. It flickered, and the dark cat screeched in pain. The cat thrashed violently, trying very hard to keep the golden cat below him pinned. It dug its claws into the smaller cat's side, who growled in pain in response.

"Get...OFF!" the tom yowled, surging upwards with all of his remaining power. The shadow cat, already hurt by the light, was forced off him. The tortoiseshell panted heavily, his sides heaving greatly with the effort of breathing.

"That's it," meowed Hollyleaf as if finally deciding on something. "This is absolutely a dream. That is clearly impossible."

"Wake up, mousebrain," Jayfeather meowed, though not sharply. He lightly nipped his sister's shoulder as if to prove it.

"Hey! Alright fine, but if this isn't a dream, then what is it?"

"I don't know," responded Lionblaze. He poked his head out of the bush a little farther as if to get a better look.

Link looked around, suddenly seeing a familiar cat amongst the brambles.

"Lionblaze!" he called, though his voice was hoarse and exhausted.

"Mouse dung!" mewed Hollyleaf. "He spotted you!"

"Doesn't matter," responded her brother gruffly, "I was going to help him anyway." He got to his feet and prepared to spring.

"Wait!" hissed Jayfeather. "This isn't your fight, and you know he can't be trusted!" Lionblaze jumped out of the bushes and dashed into the clearing, taking no heed of his brother's words whatsoever.

"I need your help," Link spoke firmly to the warrior as he entered the edge of the fray. "These creatures, shadow beasts...they can only be completely destroyed if you kill them at the exact same time. Otherwise, the survivor will just bring the dead back to life."

"Right," said Lionblaze with a nod. Then, as if on some unspoken signal, the two toms each sprang at their own shadow beast.

Lionblaze narrowly avoided getting struck in the head by a powerful forepaw. Link was smaller and quicker than Lionblaze, and the larger tom found it a little more difficult to dodge. The smaller of the two, however, was already close to giving out. Lionblaze countered another attack and dove in with one of his own. The more he fought, the more he grasped the style that the shadow cats attacked. Well, perhaps style wasn't the right word.

Link managed to scramble onto the back of his attacker, and quickly began raking his back claws down the cat's spine. It howled with rage as gash after gash ripped through its fur, spilling pitch black blood on the grass. Link bit down hard on the back of its neck, enough to stun but not kill. The cat below him slumped to the ground. He looked around to see that Lionblaze had subdued his foe as well.

"Get ready," meowed Link. "Kill on three, two, one!"

The two toms bit the necks of their respective enemies, powerful jaws snapping to a close and ending the life within. The shadow beasts screeched with fury, screeches that died quickly as soon as they were made. The two cats turned completely black, and began deteriorating into...

"Wuah!" yowled Lionblaze, startled, as the cat beneath his paws broke into black squares that rose into the sky.

"Yes!" exclaimed Link in triumph.

His blue eyes were shining as he watched the Twilight particles fly into a teal-and-black portal. Then, his smile dropped instantly.

The portal was gone. It vanished.

"It...it...no!" He stomped the ground with is good paw in anguish. His eyes were shut tight, and he shook his head as if to deny what he had just seen. He looked at the sky again, but the portal was well and truly gone. His only way home...gone...

"What...just...happened?" asked Lionblaze, completely dumbfounded. Link cast his eyes on him, narrowing them into slits.

"You can never speak of what you saw today," he said, voice harsh. "You too, Hollyleaf and Jayfeather, because I know you're there." He looked up to the head of the clearing. "You must say only that the shadow cats were fought off and driven out of the territory. That's _it_. Do you hear me?" Lionblaze, still confused, nodded slowly.

Link said nothing, only heading back in the direction of the camp. His bad paw was sending jolts of searing pain up his leg, and was throbbing without end. He grit his teeth against the pain, thinking over and over again that he had suffered much worse. He thought of Ilia, and of Midna, and kept going. But thinking of his friends only made him feel worse on the inside. He was all alone in a strange world, and any hope he had of returning home had been crushed into the dust as the portal faded from sight.

Jayfeather stared sightlessly in the direction he knew the loner had gone. He felt waves of fury, anguish, and sorrow rolling off the tom's pelt like a suffocating tide. Most of all, though, was loneliness. Loneliness that seemed to strike right through Jayfeather's chest, unrelenting and unmerciful in its quest to rip him apart. He backed up, turning away from the painful feelings. Disheartened, he trod through the woods back to the camp, his siblings so close to him that their pelts were brushing slightly. Jayfeather never knew what it was like to be lonely, because he always had Hollyleaf and Lionblaze at his side. He realized now just how awful a thing it was to be alone.

---~-~---

Link walked slowly into the camp, once more getting stares and gasps at his battered appearance. Head down, he began to walk to his usual spot near the warrior's den. He was intercepted, however, by Leafpool.

"What've you gone and done _now_?" asked the medicine cat, green eyes assessing the new damages.

"He defended the Clan from shadow cats!" spoke up Hollyleaf, who had just now emerged from the thorn tunnel behind him. She was followed right after by her brothers.

"Shadow cats?" inquired Leafpool. "What are you...wait, those things that attacked Berrynose?"

Berrynose, who was resting in a sunny spot in the clearing, looked up at the mention of his name. He trotted over, eyes wide.

"You fought them off?" he asked. "That's incredible! Those cats were...and you took them on alone?"

"I couldn't have done it without Lionblaze," Link mewed quietly.

"_You_ were the one who kept up the fight the entire time," spoke Lionblaze. "I only came in at the very end. You deserve all the credit here, not me."

Link muttered something along the lines of not wanting all the credit, and began to walk once more to his spot. This time, he was stopped by other warriors and apprentices and a whole barrage of questions.

"How big were they?"

"Did they _really_ have glowing red eyes?"

"How did you fight them outnumbered?"

"Why'd you even bother?"

Link tried to push his way through the small crowd, but stumbled and fell. It had been that stupid sprain that tripped him up, and now his paw was throbbing more than ever. He looked up to see Leafpool shooing other cats away and was grateful for the space they gave him. The medicine cat crouched by his side, and as he tried to get up, she halted him with a paw.

"Look now, you've broken it!"

"...Oh," he replied. "Must've happened during the fight." That would explain the excessive pain it was giving him.

"'Oh'? Is that all you have to say?" Leafpool didn't give him a chance to answer. "Come to my den, right now." She marched off in that direction, leaving him no choice but to follow.

"I'll have to set your paw right to make sure it heals correctly," spoke Leafpool as Link entered the den. "This could hurt."

"Nothing worse than I've had before," Link mewed emotionlessly.

Leafpool had him sit down on a nest as she inspected the paw. It was twisted rather awkwardly, but if it gave him any pain he hid it very well. Carefully, the medicine cat twisted it back the right way, but the tortoiseshell barely winced in response. His eyes were hard and blank, staring into the distance.

"There," spoke Leafpool. "Do you want some poppy seeds to ease the pain and help you sleep?"

"No," Link responded. "Don't waste your herbs on me. You're a Clan medicine cat, so save them for a Clan cat who needs them."

"But _you_ need them," Leafpool pointed out.

"But I'm not a Clan cat." With that, he turned around and left the den, keeping his broken paw off the ground. Leafpool looked like she wanted to say more, but she decided against it.

The sun had set over the horizon, and the moon was now beginning to rise in the sky. Stars shone down on the cats who were heading to their nests, and soon the clearing was empty. Empty except for one cat. Link looked around the motionless camp, not even a breeze stirring the leaves on the ground. The stars above him seemed cold and lifeless, and the moon was hidden away by dark clouds.

Never in his life had he ever felt so alone.

--~-~-~--

**Post-Notes:** There you have it, chapter five. So yeah, it kinda takes a darker turn towards the end, but I promise that the next chapter will be lighter. I don't like to write angst. Also, I know that the shadow beast's scream doesn't hold you still for _that_ long, but a writer has to do what he or she has to do to add excitement! Anyway, I hope you liked it, and I'll see you in chapter six!

--Your good buddy,

**Player4**


	7. Chapter 6: Dreams and Stories

**Author's Notes: **That last chapter was fun to write. Anyway, on with chapter six! By the way, when I said last chapter I'd have a lighter story? Yeah, I kinda lied just a little. Anyway, please read, review, and enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** No, I don't own Warriors or Zelda, and I highly doubt that I ever will.

--~-~-~--

**Chapter 6: Dreams and Stories**

Jayfeather tipped his head back to where he knew the moon was just beginning to show. Why was slumber eluding him so much? It seemed that no matter how hard he tried to get comfortable, he simply couldn't sleep. He envied the other cats all peacefully dreaming in their dens...wait. Dreaming. Maybe he had found something to pass the time after all. Jayfeather closed his eyes, and imagined himself walking in a straight line towards the sleeping place of a certain loner. He felt a little guilty, but tried to validate his actions by the fact that he needed to know more about the strange tortoiseshell. That was true, to a degree. There were more mysteries about this tom than there were mice in a forest.

Jayfeather, in his mind, sat next to the golden tom and matched his breathing patterns. Before long, he opened his eyes to sight. He looked around, not seeing Link anywhere. In fact, he couldn't even see himself.

_This must be a memory,_ he thought.

He was in a small spring, and he felt a throbbing pain in the back of his head. He blinked his eyes quickly, trying to recall what had just happened. Then it hit him, or Link, rather. He dashed madly down a forest path, and for some reason, he seemed very high up. He disregarded that fact as he saw a Twoleg thing in the distance. It was a bridge, stretching across a gigantic canyon. It was so deep that Jayfeather couldn't even see the bottom, and as he looked down, he wanted to be sick. Link, however, began to cross the bridge without the slightest hesitation.

He reached the other side, but stopped dead in his tracks. The sight in front of him made him gasp in fear, and he backed up. A huge black wall covered in strange orange markings completely blocked the path. It seemed to stretch up to the treetops, then fading into an orange sky. Wait, orange sky? Against all this blue? Was that even possible?

Suddenly, a huge, black forepaw shot out through the wall, causing ripples on its surface. He tried to avoid it, but gripped his neck and yanked him, screaming with fear, back through to the other side of the wall. The hand brought him closer to its owner, and Jayfeather gasped in horror at the view he received. A hard, flat, gray thing covered its face, for which he was grateful. He didn't _want_ to know what was behind it. The creature was much bigger than a Twoleg, and had red markings traveling up its forearms. He struggled with all his might, but he couldn't release the monster's hold on his neck.

_W-wait a min-ute! I-It's like the sh-shad-ow cats!_

The monster tightened its deadly grip, and Jayfeather felt his lungs failing. He breathed desperately for air while trying uselessly to pry the awful paw from his neck. He shut his eyes tightly, remembering that this was only a dream, a memory. So why did he feel so completely petrified? He couldn't get hurt here, right? Right? Suddenly, he heard a flashing noise, and he felt himself flung to the ground. Air rushed back into his lungs at lightning speed, burning his throat as his chest greedily filled with the precious breath. It was over...

...No it wasn't. He shouted in pain as forces from all sides pounded into him. He felt pressure constricting him, and he sank to the ground. It felt like the very air wanted to rip his soul right out of his body. He tried shakily to get up, finally feeling the crushing pain subside for a moment.

_I-I-Is it o-over n-ow?_

Before he could sigh with relief, a new pain quickly filled the space. It shot down like vicious claws through his spine, making him jerk and lurch with the unbearable feeling. Something within his limbs and torso tried to push out through his skin, and he heard his deafening screams penetrate the air. But they weren't his. They were Link's. He felt as if all his bones were breaking at once and rearranging themselves, and just when he thought he could bear it no longer, that it would tear him right apart, everything stopped.

Silence. Blackness. Link had woken up.

Jayfeather felt himself flop into his nest, still shivering with utter terror. He could still almost feel the excruciating pain that had tried its hardest to kill him. He knew the sight of the monster that had tried to strangle him would be burned into his memory for moons to come, like a scar that wouldn't heal. And as he thought these things...he realized Link must be the same way.

The blind tom shifted in his nest, thinking about the events that took place in dreams that night. What an incredible burden the tom must carry! And a burden he had to carry completely and truly alone. Nobody would understand, Jayfeather knew. That was why the tom was so secretive...he just had no one to relate to. No one to open up to and talk to, no one who had experienced the same things he did. They could try to understand, to empathize, but they never would be able to.

_But I need to know more,_ Jayfeather thought. _What happened after that?_

As he stared unblinkingly into the clearing, he wondered if he would ever find out.

---~-~---

Link blinked open his eyes slowly onto a gray sky. He hadn't been sleeping; he wasn't able to fall back asleep again after the dream he had had last night. Memory...sometimes he just wished he could forget everything. To live a normal life. To not be the Hero chosen by the gods, but Link, a rancher of Ordon. His thoughts wandered back to his hometown, the tiny farming community on the edge of the woods. Everything had been so simple then, so carefree and easy. Now, the fate of his whole country and perhaps the world rested solely on his shoulders. Sometimes, he felt the burden would break his back.

He looked up as Jayfeather padded slowly out of the medicine den. The young cat's sightless eyes stared straight at him, as if he really _were_ looking at him. A shudder ran its way down Link's spine as those penetrating eyes seemed to see right to his soul. He saw Jayfeather's ear twitch; he must have heard him.

"You're up early," the medicine cat apprentice mewed casually.

"I just felt restless," Link replied honestly. "Couldn't sleep." Something flashed across Jayfeather's face, but before Link could decipher it, it was gone.

"The winds are carrying the scent of rain," Jayfeather observed as he tasted the air. "There'll probably be a storm soon." Link drew air over his scent glands as well, finding that Jayfeather was right. The smell of rain was there, however faint.

The entrance to the warrior's den rustled, and Dustpelt emerged with a yawn. He glanced warily at Link, who didn't miss the small gesture, and padded across towards the center of the camp. Cloudtail stepped drowsily out of the den next, followed closely by his mate Brightheart. Cloudtail nodded briskly to Link, and Brightheart smiled in greeting. The she-cat was quite friendly, and she gave a nice break from the hostile remarks and mistrusting glares from the other Clan cats. Link nodded back to her in acknowledgment, flicking his tail in greeting.

As more and more cats began to fill the clearing, the low buzzing sounds of mews and purrs filled the air. Barren ground changed to a mass of multicolored fur, and as Link silently watched the busy clearing, he almost forgot the loneliness of the night prior. Some of it still lingered though. After all, he was a spectator, just watching the commotion rather than being a part of it. He stifled a sigh as the dawn patrol left through the thorn tunnel and a hunting patrol was being organized.

Which begged the question: what was he going to do today? With a broken paw it wasn't like he was going anywhere any time soon. Absently, he licked his good paw and dragged it back over his ear, stopping suddenly when he realized what he was doing. It surprised him how natural washing had felt and how instinctively he had done it.

_At this rate,_ he thought dryly, _I'll be more cat than Hylian! I wonder where the wolf part fits in with that..._

He cast his eyes up to the early morning sky, where the sun was trying its hardest to peek out from behind a heavy curtain of clouds. The clouds stubbornly held their place, and no wind thought to drive them off. Dewdrops resting on the bushes sparkled in the dim light, and a lone bird began to sing its sweet song. The peacefulness and serenity of the morning, however, was broken by the scolding voice of a queen from the nursery.

"Out, out!" shooed Daisy to her two kits. "How many times must I tell you, no rough-housing in the nursery! I can't wait until you're made apprentices..." The queen shook her head and went back inside the den. Toadkit instantly spotted a piece of moss laying on the ground, and he batted it with a forepaw to his sister.

"See if you can catch this!" Rosekit gave a powerful swat, sending the moss ball flying through the air...where it hit unsuspecting Link on the shoulder. He turned around quickly, relaxing when he saw the kits running towards him.

"Sorry!" Toadkit apologized rapidly. "We didn't mean it, really!"

"It's fine," mewed Link with a smile. "Just moss, no harm done."

"Can you tell us a story?" Rosekit asked suddenly.

"Er, I don't know any," Link spoke, caught off-guard by the question.

"Then tell us about, uh, where do you come from? Hyrule? What does it look like?" She looked at him eagerly with her big, round eyes.

"It's _huge_," Link began, "far bigger than all the territories around the lake put together." He saw Rosekit's and Toadkit's eyes widen. He doubted that they had been outside the camp, but it sounded big. "There are vast, open fields, high, snowy mountains, a massive lake, and even a fiery volcano."

"Vahl-cane-oh?" asked Toadkit, sounding out the word.

"It's like a mountain," explained Link, "but it's filled with rocks that are so hot they've melted."

"Rocks can _melt_?" asked Rosekit, shocked.

"Uh-huh," replied Link with a nod. "And lots of stuff that touches them instantly catches on fire." The two kits were completely silent, their eyes as wide as the moon.

"Are there Twolegs there?" asked Toadkit.

"That's a silly question," mewed a new voice. It was Berrynose, who Link just noticed had been sitting close by. Had he been listening the whole time? "Twolegs are everywhere," he said with a disgusted snort.

"Yeah, there are Twolegs," answered Link. "Four kinds, actually."

"There are different kinds of Twolegs?" asked Berrynose, curious in spite of himself.

"The Twolegs that live to the south of the forest are the kind you're used to seeing. They're just regular Twolegs. Then there are the ones that live to the west in a gigantic, er, Twolegplace. They have pointed ears, but aside from that they aren't much different." Link didn't include the legend that Hylians could hear the words of the gods; that might rouse suspicion on how he knew such things.

"Then there are Twolegs that live near and in the volcano," he continued. "They have all-brown pelts and skin as hard as rock on their backs. They can curl up into balls and roll around to travel, and they're mostly immune to fire."

"That sounds mousebrained!" broke in another new voice. It was Birchfall, who now looked at Link skeptically.

"Don't believe me if you want," Link spoke with a shrug. "I found it hard to believe when I was younger, too. But I've seen them up close, and everything I tell you is the truth."

"So what's the fourth kind of Twoleg from Hyrule?" piped up Rosekit.

"They live to the east on a huge river," mewed Link. "They have scales and fins like fish, and they can swim faster and more gracefully than any fish in the world. They turn swimming into an art! Also, they can breathe underwater and dive extremely deep."

"Breathe underwater?" asked Berrynose incredulously. Link nodded.

"What're the cats like?" inquired yet another voice. It was Thornclaw, who padded over with his ears pricked in curiosity. Link realized that he was slowly attracting a crowd.

"Just rouges, loners, and kittypets," Link answered with a shrug. "Nothing so sophisticated or organized as a Clan. They're mostly very friendly though, and they can usually give you advice on things."

"What about the dogs?" Thornclaw asked. "Do they chase you or attack you?"

"No," Link shook his head. "They're typically rather pleasant." Link knew he would have to choose his words carefully, because it seemed that animals didn't understand each other here as they did in Hyrule.

"Dogs? Pleasant?" Birchfall asked with scorn.

"Yeah," Link said. "The animals in Hyrule usually get along really well, from dogs to cats and even chipmunks to horses. It's the monsters that give you the trouble, not the other animals."

"Ah," Thornclaw gave a knowing nod. "It seems that Thunderpaths can be found anywhere!"

"...Thunderpath?" asked Link, confused.

"You know, the black, hard stuff that Twolegs put down so their monsters can travel on them."

"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about," Link mewed.

"But you said monsters," Thornclaw spoke, his voice trailing off. "Oh! Your definition of 'monster' and my definition must be different! Why don't you describe what you're talking about?"

"There are tons of different kinds of monsters," Link began. "Some of them are vicious plant creatures that try to eat you while rooted to one spot. There are birds and bats that claw you from the air, and massive spiders even bigger than a Twoleg. Other kinds of monsters are like miniature, oddly-colored Twolegs that attack you with either hard and heavy or thorn-sharp things. Some of them can shoot a pointy stick over a long range, and it gets imbedded in you when it hits you." He saw the two kits shudder. "Some of them ride tusked creatures with hooves that are as big, if not bigger, than a horse."

"Wow," meowed Thornclaw quietly. "That's a lot worse than the monsters we have here."

"The biggest threat of all though," Link stated solemnly, "is the shadow beings. They're massive black creatures that walk on two legs, but they're much bigger than any Twoleg you'll ever see. Their bodies are black as a night with no stars, and they have glowing red markings on their arms. Their faces are covered by flat, gray pieces of wood, and they're so strong they can send you flying with a single swipe of their paws. They surround you when they attack," Link wasn't going to mention the magical red barriers that sprang up, "so you have nowhere to run away. You only have two options: kill or be killed."

There was a stunned silence from his audience, and his words seemed to hang in the air even after they had been spoken.

"Whoa," Berrynose mewed. "Hyrule has it rough."

"And right now," Link spoke, "an evil Twoleg is trying to take it all over. He's the one that brought monsters to the lands and plagued them with shadow beasts." Link curled his lip in contempt, lashing his tail. "It wasn't always like this."

"Is that why you left?" Toadkit asked.

"I didn't leave!" Link meowed defiantly. "I was brought here by your lake...I don't know how it happened, but I just...woke up here one day." He dug a few deep trenches in the ground with his claws. "I'd give anything to be back there right now. My friends need me...the only problem is, I can't leave without my traveling companion. We were separated, and now I don't know where she is."

_Plus,_ he thought in frustration, _there's the added complication that I'm a freaking cat!_ He clenched his claws in the soil, staring hard at the earth.

He felt something brush his shoulder briefly, and looked up to see that Thornclaw had touched his tail-tip to his side. It was a comforting gesture among cats, but Link was surprised to find it coming from a Clan cat, most of whom had been rather unkind until this point. His gaze softened, and his muscles relaxed.

"You'll find her, I'm sure," Thornclaw mewed encouragingly.

"Thanks," said Link with a grateful smile.

Just then, the dawn patrol returned. Their guarded eyes cast wary glances to the sides as if waiting for something to spring up from the undergrowth, and their pelts were fluffed out in a few places. Brambleclaw padded quickly over to Firestar.

"We've scented wolf in the woods near the lake," the dark tabby mewed. "The scents are fresh, but we couldn't locate a den."

"All the same," responded Firestar, "we need to exercise caution near those areas."

"Absolutely," spoke Brambleclaw with a nod. "I'll warn the patrols." The two cats walked off in different directions after the brief exchange.

"Wolves," mewed Birchfall thoughtfully. "I don't think we've ever had them here before."

"Are wolves gonna attack us?" Toadkit asked fearfully.

"Yes," Birchfall replied with a joking smile. "They'll burst through the thorn tunnel and tear apart the nursery with their gigantic teeth and claws."

"That's right," put in Berrynose, playing along. "Because every cat knows that wolves are vicious creatures that do nothing but kill for fun."

Link gave his chest fur a few quick licks. He found that statement quite offensive, though he knew it shouldn't have been and it wasn't even aimed at him. That did rouse a few questions though. What were wolves doing by the lake, and what did they want? Or were they just passing by?

Would he ever find out?

--~-~-~--

**Post-Notes:** Oooh, suspenseful! I hope you liked it, and I'll see you in chapter seven!

--Your good buddy,

**Player4**


	8. Chapter 7: Spirits and Wolves

**Author's Notes:** Bad news, folks. This is the last of the chapters that I already had written beforehand! After this, you'll have to wait for me to write out the chapters, which may take a few days to a week. Anyway...could it be? Is that a Silver Tassels reference in this chapter?! Maybe! Although, you really won't find it as amusing as I do unless you've played on Silver Tassels (which I highly doubt you have). Oh well! Please read, review, and above all, enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Warriors or Zelda, but I DO own Silver Tassels! So HA! -cough-

--~-~-~--

**Chapter 7: Spirits and Wolves**

A mysterious yet melodic voice startled Link out of his daydreaming.

"Link..." it called softly. Link looked around to see if any other cat heard it, but the few cats left in the camp seemed to not notice. "Link...come...to the spring..."

Links ears perked up instantly, but something seemed off. Why did the spirit say _the_ spring and not _my_ spring, as the spirits usually did? The clearing seemed mostly empty now; cats and apprentices had left to go on patrols, hunt, or train, so there was a good chance that no one would see him slip out. He especially didn't want Leafpool to spot him. The medicine cat had been quite clear that she didn't want him leaving the camp until his paw was better. But that wasn't happening now!

Link figured his chances of sneaking out unnoticed were good if he left through the dirtplace tunnel. Casting cautious glances left and right, he stole quietly through to the place where cats went to make dirt. Not a single cat had noticed him, and he released the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Unfortunately, as his jaws opened, the acrid stench of excrement washed over his scent glands. Scrunching up his nose in disgust, he made a point to quickly roll around in a clump of ferns as soon as he had snuck under the barrier. Now with the dirt scent gone and his own scent effectively disguised, he walked off through the forest as rapidly as his broken paw would allow him.

More voices called out to him as he advanced through the undergrowth, leading him in the proper direction. He scented a hunting patrol close by, but he was able to hide under a bramble bush and remain undetected. He waited until the other cats were out of sight, then continued onward.

He found that he was approaching the river that marked the border between ThunderClan and WindClan. He heard the sounds of water washing over rocks, and for a brief moment they drowned out the faint calls of the beckoning voices. Link strained his ears, and once he was able to pick up the sounds again he hurried in that direction so as not to lose them once more. He followed the river upstream, and stopped when he was led to a steep and crumbling ledge.

_This might be a little difficult,_ he thought, _but I can't stop now!_

Narrowing his eyes, he flexed his claws in determination and began climbing the slope. It was quite challenging to favor his broken paw while climbing, and plenty of times he slipped and found weight dropping itself painfully on it, but he was able to manage.

"Wow," he heard himself whisper as he reached the top.

Sunlight danced magically off a cascading waterfall, throwing refracted light in all directions at the steep walls surrounding him. The water tumbled off the rocks and splashed into a deep pool below, creating a lulling murmur that sounded through the air. As he looked at the winding path below him, he saw countless pawprints embedded in the ground. He took a slow step forward, feeling his own paws slip into the shallow dimples left behind by numerous cats that came here before him. A shiver went down his spine; it felt as if many unseen eyes were watching him right now.

As he reached the base of the pool, it began to glow with a golden light.

_This must be this forest's spirit spring!_ he thought with a jolt of excitement.

However, no glowing ball of light rose up from the water. Instead, he saw the faces of the four Light Spirits from Hyrule appear on the water's surface. They held his gaze for a long moment, then vanished. The pool did not lose its glow though, and as Link stared at the water in curiosity, the shape of a cat began to materialize across from him on the other side of the pool. It was a she-cat, thin and delicate with a glossy dappled pelt. Frosty stars glittered deep within her fur, and her eyes reflected a bright light whose source seemed nonexistent.

"The dangers have not passed," she mewed in a light voice that seemed as delicate as her figure.

"Do you mean the shadow beings?" asked Link.

"StarClan do not have the same powers as the spirits of your home," she continued as if he hadn't spoken, "and we can not drive off the creatures of darkness. If the darkness reaches this pool, the best we can do is heal the cats who have taken spirit forms until the evil creatures are defeated."

_That must mean that the only way to clear the Twilight from this area if it takes hold is to completely kill all the shadow monsters... And I thought bug hunting was bad!_

"Heal your injuries, then leave," spoke the starry cat. With that, and as quickly as she had come, she vanished. The pool still hadn't lost its glow, though, and Link bent his head to get a better look. He remembered the healing properties that the spirit water from the springs had back home, and he experimentally stuck his broken paw in. Instantly, he felt relief wash up his forearm. When the feeling subsided, he took his paw out of the water and looked at it closely. Taking a deep breath, he stood squarely on all four paws.

_Hey,_ he thought, _I'm all better!_

The pool now looked the same as always, but it was still a pretty sight. Feeling stronger than ever, Link raced on up the path and back to camp.

---~-~---

Fortunately, it didn't look like any cat had spotted him on his way back into the camp. Unfortunately, he was wrong.

"Where were you?" demanded the voice of Leafpool, the medicine cat. Link stiffened, and slowly padded towards her den. Her vibrant green eyes searched him up and down, obviously surprised that he was walking on all four paws.

"I was at your territory's spirit spring," he answered slowly. The hard look in Leafpool's eyes gave way to confusion.

"The what?" she asked.

"Er, that place with the waterfall and the path with lots of pawprints in it."

"The Moonpool?" Leafpool asked. "That's a sacred place for medicine cats!"

"Sorry, I didn't know," Link answered quietly, giving his chest fur a few embarrassed licks.

"Why were you there in the first place?" questioned Leafpool, eyes narrowed.

"I heard a voice," Link answered honestly. He didn't know why, but something deep inside him urged him to tell her the truth, even if he didn't tell her the whole story. "It called me to come, just like the spirits back in my home did."

"Spirits spoke to you?" Leafpool asked with wide eyes.

"Yeah," mewed Link with a nod. "And when I went there, I saw a cat who had stars in her fur." Leafpool's eyes widened so much that Link wondered if it hurt her.

"But how is your paw not broken?"

"I dipped it in the water, and it healed. I could do that in Hyrule, too." Now Leafpool's tail was sticking straight out behind her, and her neck fur was beginning to fluff out. Without saying any more, she turned around and staggered into her den. As Link began to turn away, he found himself face-to-face with Jayfeather.

"Was all that really true?" the blind tom asked.

"Yeah," Link answered, made uncomfortable by the almost hungry sound of Jayfeather's voice. He slowly walked away, his pace quickening as he got further from the gray cat.

_Another mystery about the strange loner,_ Jayfeather thought to himself. _And still not one __mystery solved._

---~-~---

It was about sunhigh when Link came back from hunting. He set his vole and thrush on the fresh-kill pile, and selected a squirrel for himself. He bit into it, finishing in a few ravenous bites. He licked his whiskers, buried the bones, and began washing. It was now a familiar thing and had quickly become a routine. As he sat in the warm sunlight, enjoying the peaceful moment, a frightened caterwaul ripped the air. All the cats in the clearing looked up as the sunhigh patrol crashed into the camp. Their pelts were fluffed out and their breathing was ragged, as if they had been running. Link rose to his paws, prepared to fight off another shadow cat attack.

Dustpelt, the head of the patrol, ran over to where Firestar and Brambleclaw had been speaking in the middle of the clearing.

"Wolves!" he called breathlessly. Leader and deputy looked at him in alarm. "Wolves are coming, at least seven of them! They're headed towards the camp!"

Frightened meows broke out in the clearing like a torrent, spreading like wildfire and filling the camp with a frantic buzz.

"How will we defend ourselves?!"

"I've never even seen a wolf!"

"What about the kits and elders?!"

"SILENCE!" The yowling cut off as Firestar's voice boomed through the clearing. "Get the sick, kits, and elders to my den. Strengthen the walls. Fill the tunnel with thorns. Senior warriors defend the entrance, newer warriors form a line behind them, apprentices guard the medicine den. If all else fails, evacuate the hollow from that ledge." He motioned to a ledge near the corner of the camp, and though it was steep it had plenty of pawholds.

The Clan burst into action as Firestar nodded and walked away, every cat rushing to do as they were told. Many of the warriors found thorns and gorse to fortify the entrance with, while others began to help the elders and kits up the Highledge to Firestar's den. Everyone seemed to be doing something, and Link wondered what he could do to help. Then a thought struck him. He knew that if wolves attacked the camp there would definitely be some casualties among the warriors, but what if the fight could be prevented?

Everything was ready, and the cats moved into position. Link joined the newer warriors, all of whom had pricked ears and risen fur. Tension hung in the air like a thick curtain, almost tangible. A low thunder was faintly heard, then louder, then louder. Link tensed. That was more than seven wolves, by the sound of it. It was as if they had brought the whole pack. The sound of hard, broad paws beating the ground rang in his ears, and he wondered if his idea would be effective.

"Prepare for attack!" Firestar yowled.

_Not if I can help it,_ thought Link.

Then, the thorn tunnel burst open, revealing a large number huge, battle-ready wolves. A two gigantic wolves, similar in shape, stood at the lead. They glared down at the rows of cats before them with icy blue eyes, and as Link stared at their massive silver claws and dagger-sharp teeth, he knew that he had to be right. He could not fail, or lives would certainly be lost.

"Leader!" barked one of the two at the head of the pack, a she-wolf. Her accent was strange, and her voice seemed too deep to be meowing. "Show Hero!" she growled in the language of cats.

Link felt a bitter chill grip his heart. The dangerous wolf pack was looking for _him_.

"Who are you talking about?" spit Firestar angrily at the head of the senior warriors.

"Hero!" repeated the she-wolf. "Show Hero, or face claws!" Without waiting for an answer, she signaled the pack with her tail and prepared to spring on the waiting cats. As she was about to leap, a loud growl stopped her.

"Wait!" Link barked in the tongue of wolves he knew only too well. It sounded a little shrill in his new cat voice, but the words were unmistakable. "Before you attack!" He pushed past the defensive lines of astonished cats to stand directly in front of the two wolf leaders. As he looked up to their bared fangs and long snouts, another chill rushed through him.

_Was I really that frightening-looking?_ he thought for a brief moment. _No wonder people attacked me!_

"Who are you, cat," the male leader demanded in the wolf language, "that speaks our tongue? How do you know it?"

"I'm a warrior of this Clan," he lied hurriedly. "As for how I know your language, I befriended a wolf moons ago who taught it to me." The fact that he was communicating fluently seemed like enough proof to satisfy the leaders. As he looked over his shoulder at the confused, baffled, and shocked Clan cats, he knew that they couldn't understand his and the leaders' words. "But that isn't the point, as you and I both know. Who are you, and why have you come here?" He already knew the answer to the second question.

"My name is Thaed," spoke the male wolf, "and my sister is Tara. We are searching for the Hero of Twilight." Link stiffened slightly upon hearing his title. "He comes from lands far away, and our...sources tell us that he is a cat currently residing in one of the territories by the lake."

"Well there's no twilight hero here," Link lied, more smoothly now that he was getting used to the wolves' presences. "Just warriors. Maybe you should check the areas past the pine forests?" And out of the Clan territories!

"You had better not be lying, cat," Tara growled. She bent down until she was nose-to-nose with the tortoiseshell, causing frightened gasps from the watching cats. She stretched her long, deadly-looking claws in front of Link's face. "Or you'll regret it."

"I understand completely," Link responded with a nod. He hoped to the goddesses that the wolf pack wouldn't return if or when they realized he had misled them. He knew fully well that this pack could easily turn him into a misshapen pile of shredded golden fur within minutes if they so desired. He didn't dare release a sigh of relief until the last wolf had vanished from sight.

Turning around, he saw that all eyes were fixed directly on him, their wide stares burning through his pelt.

"How...did you do that?!" asked Firestar, shock in his eyes and wonder in his voice. "What did you say?"

"I learned the wolf language a few moons ago," Link mewed, looking at the ground and feeling his ears grow hot. "I told them that the cat they were looking for wasn't here, and that they should go search somewhere else."

"You've saved us from fighting a battle where we were sure to lose some of our warriors," stated Brambleclaw. "Thank you." He and Firestar dipped their heads in gratitude, and murmurs of agreement rumbled through the assembled cats. Link wished he could just crawl into a deep hole and stay there until dawn.

"Well, what are you all waiting for?" asked Firestar to his Clan after a few moments. "Don't you have duties to perform? Hunts to make? Fighting moves to practice?" The neat rows quickly disbanded, and the clearing was abuzz with movement once more. The familiar chatter of meows filled the air, and Link realized with a gulp that they were all centered around him. However, unlike when he had first arrived at the Clan, the excited mews were positive.

"That was really brave!"

"I don't know if I'd have dared approach those two big ones!"

"Those claws were unnaturally sharp!"

"I thought they were gonna make crowfood out of him when he walked right up!"

"It's a relief we don't have to fight the pack..."

"Who knew he spoke wolf?!"

"I wonder if he could teach me!"

Link highly doubted that he'd be giving any lessons on how to speak wolf any time soon, but he might be able to teach some simple words and phrases if cats really wanted to learn. All he wanted to do now, though, was sit alone in a nice sunny spot and away from all the unwanted attention.

"That's twice you've risked your life to defend this Clan." Link looked up at the voice of Firestar.

"Do you need something?" Link asked. "Any duties you want done?"

"No, no," Firestar shook his head. "I was just commenting, is all. Brave and strong, those are good traits for a warrior." It seemed like his words had deeper meaning, but Link didn't get to ask as the ThunderClan leader trotted off to share tongues with his mate, Sandstorm.

---~-~---

"Hey, Link," a voice called. It was Birchfall. "Why don't you come inside the warriors' den? It's gonna be cold tonight, and we have some empty nests." Link was surprised by the offer, but pleasantly so. It seemed that he was becoming more accepted by the Clan, which was a nice thought.

"Sure," he spoke with a nod, and padded inside. Dim moonlight glinted through the branches above him, and it was considerably warmer in here than it was outside. Suddenly feeling more tired now than he had in a while, he curled up in an empty nest, tucked his nose under his tail, and entered a restful sleep.

Firestar, in his den, was not so lucky.

He was walking through the ThunderClan forest, but something seemed wrong. It was too quiet, with not even the rustle of prey in the bushes below or birdsong overhead. As he padded on through the eerily silent forest, he felt the cold stares of malicious eyes on his pelt. He turned around rapidly, but there was nothing there. Unsettled, he continued on his way to nowhere in particular.

Suddenly, the screeches of a terrified cat filled his ears. He raced to their source, just in time to see a horrifying sight. A huge, hulking creature about half the size of a Twoleg had the scruff of a cat gripped in its broad forepaw. The creature seemed to be half-cat, with fur and catlike ears and tail, but it had a bent Twoleg body and was able to use its forepaws freely. It shook the cat in its paw like a ragdoll, and as it did, something unspeakably frightening and strange happened. It seemed like the cat's body just vanished, fading away until it left only a ball of pale light behind.

Firestar shut his eyes tightly, trying to imagine that the sight had not existed, that it was his imagination only. But when he opened his eyes again, the shadowy creature and the ball of light were still there. Firestar found that if he strained his senses he could see the cat once more, but all its color was gone and it was only a faint outline against the orange light. Orange. The sky was orange at sunhigh.

The monstrous creature tossed the cat aside, loping off to find some other prey. Firestar ran over to the unconscious cat, and gasped in horror when he recognized the shape. The ghostly image of the cat at his feet was Sandstorm.

Firestar's eyes shot open, and he sat bolt upright in his nest.

"A dream..." he murmured. "It was only a dream..." But that couldn't stop the cold fear that dug like claws into his heart. Somehow, he knew it meant something. It was a message, but what did it mean?

Far off in the distance, he heard the sound of thunder.

--~-~-~--

**Post-Notes:** Oooooh! That was a good one! Very fun to write! I enjoyed it, did you? If you did, please, please, please review! I'd like to know what my readers like about my writing and what I could do to make it better. Because there's always room for improvement! Also, anyone who reviews will get their name mentioned at the beginning of the next chapter, which word on the street says MIGHT be called "The Storm".

--Yours truly,

**Player4**


	9. Chapter 8: The Storm

**Author's Notes:** Chapter 8 is here! Okay, first of all, I'd like to thank all the people that put my story on favorites and alert, and I'd especially like to thank everyone who reviewed! You make being a writer worthwhile, so thanks a ton! And, a big, super-special-happy thanks to kimcat, who reviewed _every single chapter!_ You rock!

Anyway, I get kinda shaky with timeline theory here (Aaaugh, not the timeline theory! -explodes-), and though it doesn't _exactly_ match up with my own ideas, OH WELL. I dunno, Twilight Hyrule just happens to know about the Hero of Time that never existed in their world Zelda, _why_ did you have to send Link back to his childhood and make a --------- split in the time stream?! [/rant] At any rate, read, review, and enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** The only thing I own is Silver Tassels, and the wolves don't even make an appearance in this chapter, so...yeah.

--~-~-~--

**Chapter 8: The Storm**

The rumbling of thunder roused Link from his light sleep. At first, when he opened his eyes, he had no idea where he was. Then he remembered the night before, when one of the warriors invited him to stay in the den for the night. He was grateful of that, especially now that rain was pouring down from the clouds. If he had stayed in the open air last night, he would've been soaked right through his pelt.

A white light illuminated the sky for a heartbeat, then vanished. Link began counting the seconds, and when he reached twenty-five a roll of thunder echoed around the stone walls of the hollow. The storm was five miles away, but Link wasn't sure if it was traveling closer to or farther away from the camp.

He padded over quietly to the entrance of the den, avoiding the sleeping warriors and treading as lightly as possible. He stood under the shelter of the brambles, but the rain lightly spattered his maw and chest. Another streak of lightning illuminated the sky, ripping through the clouds in bright, jagged arcs. Beautifully deadly. One, two, three, four... Twenty-five seconds again, but that could change with a strong wind. As if on a cue, the wind began to pick up.

A thin wailing rose up from the nursery, the source being a frightened kit calling for its mother. It reminded Link of the days back in Ordon. If the children ever got scared, Rusl would tell them stories he had heard on his trips to Hyrule Castle. One of the stories was about Link, the legendary Hero of Time. The Hero of Time possessed both the Triforce of Courage and the Master Sword, and he imprisoned Ganondorf in the Sacred Realm. Link wondered what he would think of his descendant, the Hero of Twilight, who also possessed the Triforce of Courage and Master Sword. _And_ wore the very same tunic, to boot.

Link looked up as Lionblaze stirred in his nest, rising drowsily and blinking slowly. He padded over to stand near Link, the two cats looking out into the hard, steady rain.

"You think it'll reach the camp?" Lionblaze asked.

"I can't say for sure," Link replied, "but I don't even think the thunder's reached ShadowClan territory yet."

"How do you know that?" Lionblaze asked skeptically.

"I can tell by how much time passes between the lightning and the thunder."

"Really? How do you--" Another streak of lightning lit up the sky.

"One, two, three, four..." All the way up to twenty. "It's getting closer. Only four miles away now."

"What's a mile? And how did you figure that out?"

"A mile is, er," _How do I say this in cat terms?_ "a pretty long distance. Sorry, I can't really explain it any other way, but it's longer than the distance across the lake for sure. Anyway, to find out how far away a storm is, you start counting until the thunder sounds. Then you divide the number you counted to by five."

"Divide?"

"Separate into groups. See, I counted to twenty," Link scored twenty small lines in the ground with his claws, "so to divide it by five, I make groups of five out of the twenty. See?" Using a claw, he drew circles around each group of five lines. "Four circles, which means that twenty divided by five is four."

"Oh, I think I get it," Lionblaze mewed with a nod. "That's kinda confusing though." Link smoothed out the marks in the ground with his paws.

"What if there's a bit left over that doesn't fit?" a voice asked. It was Hollyleaf, who must have been listening in on the math lesson from inside the warrior's den.

"Then you get something called a remainder," Link explained. "You'd have to separate the extra line into five parts to keep the groups equal. So if you wanted to divide twenty-one by five, the answer would be four and one fifth."

Lightning once more illuminated the sky, and Link started counting yet again.

"Fifteen," he concluded once the thunder sounded. "So the storm's three miles away."

"It's still getting closer," Lionblaze mewed with a glance at the sky. "I don't know if I like that."

The three cats were silent as they sat, sheltered from the pouring rain by the overhanging brambles of the den.

--~-~--

She sat in the crevice of a rock, shivering from the cold of the morning. Rain constantly pounded down from the dark, unforgiving clouds in a torrential downpour, and thunder shook the sky and made the winds tremble. How could a small storm grow so quickly in such a freaking short time?! She wasn't concerned for herself though. As long as she stayed sheltered in her little cave, she would be just fine. But...

_No, no! I'm not worried about him! He's the Hero of Twilight, he can take care of himself! It's not like he'd catch pneumonia...or get struck by lightning, or anything..._

She clenched her little hands into fists, her visible eye staring daggers at the cat-infested forest. But it wasn't just cats here anymore; just recently, a pack of wolves had been poking their snouts around every tree and shrub. The strange thing was that almost as quickly as they had come, they moved on.

_What were they looking for?_ she wondered. They were missing something, obviously. They all had that fierce, determined look in their eyes that he once had, and-- _Quit thinking about him! You're being so foolish! Does he really matter that much to you?_

She found that she couldn't answer.

Finally, the rain began to let up a little. The downpour gave way to a gentle lull, and she let out a little sigh. Maybe he'd do alright, now that the storm was passing.

Just then, a streak of lightning jolted down from the clouds. It struck a tall tree, and a resounding _crack!_ split the air. Suddenly, the tree began to glow with a spark of orange. Small flickers of light licked the bark and the branches, eating away at the wood. Flares reached hungrily down the trunk, their merciless ranks spreading rapidly to the grass where they disbanded to devour even more of the greenery. Another tree caught, then another.

The forest was on fire!

--~-~--

The rain had slowed, at last. Link was beginning to get worried; the storm had been right over their heads at one point. But at least nothing bad happened. Most of the warriors were now moving about the camp, though a few were still asleep in their nests. Wait...what was that smell? Link opened his jaws, drawing the wet air over his scent glands. His eyes widened, and he stifled a gasp. His head snapped around towards the entrance to the camp, and as he peered out into the distance, he spotted a black pillar of smoke that was rising up to the clouds...

"Fire!" he yowled at the top of his lungs.

A frightened caterwauling broke out in the clearing, and the cats that had still been in their dens rushed out in a river of fur. They stared, horrified, at the column of smoke that was now growing in size...and getting closer. Link saw Firestar bound out of his den, jumping right from the Highledge to the ground. _**(1)**_

"Everyone stay calm!" yowled the leader. The frantic meows died down, many cats turning to look at him with desperation in their eyes. "We'll evacuate the camp and move to the hills in this order: kits, sick, elders, apprentices, warriors. We have to get out of this forest before the fire spreads."

Suddenly, a blaze of orange began to approach the entrance to the camp. Yowls of fear erupted from the Clan as their escape route was cut short.

"STAY CLAM!" Firestar boomed once more. "Climb out of the camp using that ledge." He motioned with his tail to the ledge he had indicated yesterday before the wolves attacked. "Hurry!"

As the cats began to bustle in the general direction of the ledge, the clearing once more buzzed with frightened mews. Link saw Daisy and Millie ushering Toadkit and Rosekit towards the ledge, pushing through the mass of bodies. The poor kits looked scared out of their wits, their wide eyes dazed and glassy. The two she-cats picked up the kits by their scruffs, while other warriors helped them to haul the tiny cats up the side of the camp. All the while, the fire was getting closer.

Once the kits were safely at the top, the apprentices helped the elders up. The warriors below were constantly moving around, terror striking their hearts as the fire loomed ever closer. The only thing that kept it from burning through to the camp was the merciful damp earth and the slow rain, but despite these things the fire refused to be stifled. Finally, the elders reached the top of the rise, and almost at once a tide of warriors began rushing up the wall of the camp. Link was among the last to ascend to the top, and right as he did, the fire engulfed the thorn tunnel.

"Everyone follow me to the hills!" Firestar yowled in a commanding voice, somehow able to get from the back of the group of cats to the front in a minuscule amount of time.

_Wait a minute,_ thought Link, _where's Jayfeather?_

He looked around, not seeing the blind medicine cat in the throng of pelts. He spotted Hollyleaf though, and as the mass of cats spread out and headed for the moors, he managed to make his way over to her.

"Have you seen Jayfeather?" he asked her.

"No, I thought he had gone ahead." Her vibrant green eyes searched the crowd, but her efforts were as vain as Link's. He noticed her neck fur begin to rise.

"Me too. But I'm sure he's fine," Link assured, but he still felt his paws prickling.

A sharp yowl broke out from behind them, and as they whipped around, they saw Jayfeather trying to scramble over the top of the rise. With mews of surprise, the two cats rushed over to help him.

"Thanks for forgetting me!" the gray tom snapped, but there was a fear in his voice that he was trying to mask.

"We're sorry!" Hollyleaf mewed frantically. If Link had eyebrows, he would've raised them. Did Hollyleaf just say _we_? It wasn't that he wasn't sorry, it was being included in the sentence that surprised him. "We both thought you had already gone!"

Two out of the three cats looked up to find that the rest of the Clan had vanished through the trees.

"We're falling behind," Link mewed. "Wait, what's..."

A strange shadow was moving through the forest, unattached to the ground. It appeared to be a child, and one yellow eye was its defining characteristic. Link's own eyes widened, and he took a hesitant step forward. He then looked over his shoulder at the two siblings, who had confusion on their faces.

"What is it?" Hollyleaf asked, peering at the shadow. Then, a frantic recognition lighted in her eyes. "That's the thing that attacked you!"

"What?" asked Jayfeather. "What is?"

"It's floating," Hollyleaf mewed, "just like Graystripe and Onestar said..." Just then, a burning branch fell not too far behind them. Despite the damp earth that held back its rage, the fire was still spreading.

"We have to move," Link meowed firmly. He gave one last glance at the shadow he knew to be his partner and friend, and bounded off after the Clan with the two siblings beside him.

--~-~--

"There you are!" Leafpool mewed with relief as the three young cats approached the gathered Clan on the hills. "Don't scare me like that!" she mewed to Jayfeather, flicking his ear with her tail.

"Then don't leave me behind," the gray tom grumbled. Leafpool's green gaze widened.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know!"

"It's fine, it's fine," he muttered, raising a paw.

Jayfeather turned his head towards where Link's and Hollyleaf's scents were mingling. He angled his ears, feeling just a bit guilty for eavesdropping but not enough to make him stop.

"Thanks," Hollyleaf murmured quietly.

"For what?" the loner asked. Slight confusion was emanating from his pelt.

"I, well, er...just, thanks for being there." She turned sharply and hurried off in the other direction, and Jayfeather could feel the embarrassment washing from her pelt like waves. Link only seemed more confused.

_And I'm supposed to be the blind one,_ he thought with a wry smile. The smile didn't last, however, when a new though occurred to him.

Was he feeling...protective? For Hollyleaf? Why would that be?

--~-~--

Why did she feel the way she did? What was wrong with her?

_That was so strange,_ Hollyleaf thought to herself as she stared at the dark sky. _I felt like a mouse grabbed my tongue, and my ears were getting hot! That's never happened to me before, so why should it happen now? And around him?_ She narrowed her eyes in frustration, grumbling quietly.

He wasn't very far away from her now. His his head was bowed, his deep blue eyes were cast in the direction of the forest, and he was mewing something quietly. Hollyleaf didn't know why, but she felt the need to listen.

"Din, goddess of fire," he spoke, "I beg you to cease your flames. And Nayru, goddess of water, please bring the rain to silence the fire. Farore, goddess of winds, I pray for protection for this Clan of cats." He raised his head to the stars then. "They have no idea of what's to come..."

Hollyleaf shuddered at those ominous words. What was going to happen? What did Link know that the Clan didn't? She only felt further frustration as she wondered if she would ever get to find out.

_Why do you always have to be such a mystery?!_

--~-~--

"Are you going to walk in his dreams tonight?" Lionblaze's quiet mew jolted Jayfeather out of his reverie.

"What's going on?" Jayfeather asked his brother.

"Hollyleaf says he knows something we don't, and I figure we should be prepared, so I just thought maybe you should give it a try."

"I...I don't want to do that anymore," Jayfeather admitted. "I feel a little guilty."

"You've never felt guilty about walking in anyone's dreams before," Lionblaze protested. Jayfeather realized he was right.

"He's different." Jayfeather shook his head. "I'm sorry Lionblaze, really, but no. Not tonight at least."

He settled down in the grass, the smell of the moor filling his nose. The Clan would be sleeping under the stars tonight, and would return to camp tomorrow. Jayfeather felt a sense of foreboding in the pit of his stomach; what would they find when they went back to the forest? He shivered and closed his eyes, but it was a long time before he could finally sink into a restless sleep.

--~-~--

As she looked down at her tiny hands, she couldn't suppress a feeling of concern within her. That was a large fire...no, no, he must've avoided it! Nothing happened to him! Nothing! She could still sense his presence, but it was so vague, so faint, it...no. Change the subject.

There were an awful lot of cats in this forest. They seemed to be everywhere! Interestingly enough, there were four unique scents in different areas around this lake. One was fishy, one smelled like wind, another like...well, she couldn't place it, but it wasn't too pleasant, and the last one like the trees. Once in the morning, at noon, evening, and midnight, groups of cats would go out and mark their scents around certain trails and landmarks. If two groups from either side spotted each other, they would hiss and spit. Sometimes, they'd even get into fights.

That didn't really tell her anything though. Unlike the animals back in Hyrule, the cats and the various forest creatures didn't seem able to communicate with her or each other. So, unlike Hyrule, they couldn't tell her if they'd seen a green-clothed Hylian come by.

...Or could they?

An idea struck. Closing her eyes, she began focusing her power within her. She felt it course through her veins, surging up and down through her body. Slowly, she felt herself changing. She bent forward, feeling her hands and feet touch the ground. The change was gradual, but she knew when it was done. She blinked open her eyes again, looking around. Whoa...depth perception. She knew the Fused Shadow wasn't gone though; she could sense it within her.

Now to find a puddle. The rain left quite a few of them around, and she approached one now to view her new figure. Amber eyes gazed down at her reflection, where a black and white cat stared back. The cat shared her markings, though her arms and legs no longer bore the teal Twili designs. The fur on the top of her head was a fiery, vibrant orange, fading to the black around her eyes. She flicked her new tail in satisfaction, and looked up at the tall pine trees around her. The scent in this area may not be all that pleasant, but the cats might know something.

Knowledge took precedence over smell, absolutely. Tail and head held high, she padded off to where the scent grew strongest.

_**(1)**_ You can probably tell, my writing has a dip in quality around here. This is where my muse failed me. Sorry, I just wasn't feeling it!

**Post-Notes:** Writing that chapter was a chore, really. Ugh. The ending wasn't so bad, but I'm just glad that I have this chapter behind me. I'd really appreciate if you reviewed. Tell me if you hated it as much as I did! XD Well, see you in chapter 9!

--Increasingly annoyed,

**Player4**


	10. Chapter 9: Fighting and Lies

**Author's Notes:** Nope! You still don't get an antecedent, even though you undoubtedly know who this is by now! Also, I got really sick about halfway through this story, so from there my writing quality may not be what it usually is. Oh well, hope you enjoy it anyway!

Another thing. Because I felt bad that I kept you guys waiting for all this time, this chapter is an extra-special long one! =D So anyway, please read, review, and YOU'D BETTER ENJOY THIS!! -cough-

**Disclaimer:** Me: Thaed, why don't you do the disclaimer today?

Thaed: Awww, do I have to?

Me: Yes! I'm getting bored!

Thaed: Fine. Player4 does not own The Legend of Zelda or Warriors, and is merely doing this for fun. She _does_, however, own me, Tara, and everything else having to do with Silver Tassels. So don't touch! There, happy? On with the story!

--~-~-~--

**Chapter 9: Fighting and Lies**

The sky was a dismal gray the morning after the storm, not assisting much to lighten the moods of the cats clustered together on the windy moor. Slowly, the mob of pelts crept back into the forest. Link looked around and the charred trees and decrepit brambles with a sense of dread; even if the forest wasn't his home, it gave him pangs of sadness for the devastated warriors. Plus, whether he knew it or not, he had grown rather comfortable in the thick ThunderClan forest.

"It looks so empty," a voice spoke beside him. Hollyleaf's eyes were cast on the blackened vegetation surrounding the group.

"It's almost frightening," Link admitted. The withered and dead branches of the trees reached out like desperate fingers, begging silently for a life that he couldn't grant them. A charred thorn branch snagged his pelt; it all but disintegrated with a jerk of his muscles. The woods were pleading...but there was nothing he could do for the grieving forest.

"Prey won't be running well for a moon," the frustrated voice of Lionblaze spoke up from the other side of Hollyleaf.

"There are hard times ahead for the Clan," Hollyleaf responded with a grave nod. Her eyes briefly flickered to Link, a movement he didn't miss, however brief. It was obvious to him that her words held a deeper meaning, but they remained an enigma.

"We're here," Link mewed, though it was almost a deadpan. The three young cats followed the other warriors as they slipped through the entrance, which Link realized had almost been burnt away. He felt small claws like little pinpricks down his spine.

_Don't let the camp be totally destroyed,_ he asked silently. _Merciful Din, don't take their home..._

As he emerged into the camp, it seemed that his prayers had been answered. Though the warrior's den was in a sore state, the nursery looked to be almost pristine, as far as a cat-made nest of brambles could go. The elder's den, which was towards the back of the camp, appeared in similar condition. Unfortunately, the fresh-kill pile had taken plenty of damage, and the sight of the charred and unrecognizable bodies of the small woodland creatures made Link want to gag.

Still, he couldn't complain very much. The damages to the warriors' home were repairable, and none terribly significant. An infinitesimal smile of satisfaction played across his mouth for a moment.

The Clan had taken a harsh blow, but they would move on, live on.

--~-~--

She wasn't entirely sure how the events had played out, but somehow, she had been accepted into the little "clan" of cats or whatever. Perhaps it had been in the way she threatened the so-called leader to relinquish any information he had, or the deathly gleam in her amber eyes that proved she would get what she desired no matter the challenge or cost. Somehow, the leader had been amused, or impressed, or a mix of both...she stopped and shook her head.

_Don't ramble and let your thoughts get off track like that, or you'll_ never _get what you want! How do you expect to find him if you can't even keep your thoughts straight?_

"Alright, rouge," the voice of the leader, Black Star or something, rumbled. She looked up from her instinctive washing (why was she even doing that?) to see the powerful cat approach her. "Let's see how well you can fight. We're leading an attack on ThunderClan today, and you're coming along with the patrol. If you can fight as well as you say," he added with a smirk in his voice, "this should be interesting."

_"Interesting." What, am I some sort of entertainment for him?_ She rolled her eyes as he walked away, and dragged a paw over her ear.

It was finally sunhigh, or whatever these cats called "noon", and the patrol was getting ready to leave. She nonchalantly strolled to join them, paws tingling with the prospect of a fight. Maybe she could work off some steam.

"We'll keep to the undergrowth and catch them by surprise," the cat Russetfur spoke. She was supposed to be like a successor to the leader, even though the two weren't related. "Stick to the shadows, and wait for a patrol."

_Stick to the shadows, huh?_ She almost laughed, but it lacked humor. _Then I'll be the expert._

"You, rogue." Though she wasn't fond of the way she was addressed, she looked up. If she had possessed eyebrows, one of them would have been raised skeptically. "You probably know nothing of honor or the warrior code, so I'll just tell you. Don't attack a single cat, even if you see one. Wait for my command. We are a group, so we fight a group."

"Sure," she replied with a casual flick of her tail, while somehow still managing to seem condescending.

A vague image jumped on the edges of her memory as the patrol approached the ThunderClan border, one of a clearing and a golden-colored cat. She realized now that if he was on ThunderClan territory, then he might be a ThunderClan cat. And since they were attacking ThunderClan, he might be there... She did _not_ like that cat. Ever since she had made contact with its hauntingly blue eyes, those that dared to look so much like his...

A rather twisted smile crept onto her new face at the prospect of flaying that shiny, mottled fur.

The scenery changed slightly, and the tree-scent of ThunderClan replaced the rank smell of ShadowClan. The scents joined on one line, where they were the strongest. The border. With a nod from Russetfur, the cats slunk into hiding places in the tall grasses, bushes, and few in the low branches of trees. The only thing to do now was wait for a group of ThunderClan cats.

She watched a mouse scurry out of a clump of ferns on the other side of the border. Soon after, a brown paw extended from the ferns, stepping delicately on the ground so as not to alert the possible prey. Brown, so it wasn't That Cat...or was it? Come to think of it, she couldn't remember what the tom's paws looked like. The next paw slid out, but the cat itself didn't quite emerge yet. Suddenly, the bushes burst open, and a furry blur landed square on the mouse. It hardly had time to squeak an alarm before the predator bit its neck. The golden-furred tom stood up, mouse dangling from his jaws. Golden fur. That Cat.

As That Cat turned around to head back into the trees, he paused. He set the mouse at his paws and opened his mouth, as if he were trying to sniff the air. Could he smell the patrol? That wasn't possible! They were right on their own border, concealed by the ShadowClan scentmark! That Cat wandered around in a loose circle, eventually drawing rather close to the hiding place of the attacking patrol. Abruptly, his blue eyes widened. He mewed something under his breath, something that she didn't catch.

Slowly, he stepped right up to the border. Several cats drew in their breaths, disbelieving looks on their faces. How could he have known of their presence? What scent gave them away?

_Ugh, that stupid cat! If he sounds an alarm, we'll lose our element of surprise!_

He looked at the border, back towards the woods, back to the border again, woods again, and eventually he took a hesitant pawstep forward. He backed up though, shook his head, and turned away. He picked up the mouse once more in his jaws, and started again for the trees.

"Was that it?" one of the ShadowClan cats hissed to Russetfur. "Just a hunting patrol? Where is their border patrol?"

"Have we missed it?" a few other cats murmured quietly.

At that moment, a dark tabby head emerged from the bracken. He held his head high, and based on his stature, it could be assumed that he might be the deputy.

"There's the border patrol!" one cat hissed. "Finally!"

That Cat nodded to the tabby, who nodded in return, and fell in with the group behind him. The line of cats began to mark their border.

"On my signal," Russetfur meowed. "Now!"

The ShadowClan attackers sprang from their hiding places, leaping onto the ThunderClan patrol. Yowls of surprise and rage broke out as the strip of land erupted into a flurry of lashing claws and writhing bodies. She pounced on a young, black-furred she-cat, pinning her down under her own greater weight. The she-cat yowled defiance, her green eyes blazing with fury. The more she struggled and took blows, however, the more frantic she became.

"Ack! Get...off!" Her only reply was slashes down her side from the claws of her ShadowClan enemy.

Suddenly, the attacker found her breath knocked out as another cat barreled into her side. In a blur of motion, her head hit the ground, and sturdy paws were pressed on her chest and flanks. She blinked to fight the dizziness, and found that she was staring straight up at That Cat. His feral eyes were narrowed in anger, but they quickly widened in utter shock. His mouth fell open, and his grip on her shoulders slackened.

What an idiot!

With all of her strength, she pounded her paw into the side of his head, scoring deep lines on his face and knocking him sideways. She jumped to her feet before he was even completely off of her, effectively making him stumble to the ground. Her blow seemed to smack sense back into him, and a string of different emotions whirled in his eyes. Finally, they landed on...betrayal? No, it couldn't be. It must be something else. He didn't have long to feel whatever emotion was going on inside him though, because she quickly jumped to the attack once more.

"M--!" he started.

"Shut UP!" She cut him off with a hard slash to his shoulder.

She wasn't holding back now. All her frustration, anger, and worry from the past few weeks now channeled out through her claws in a blaze of attack after attack. It took her a while to realize that That Cat wasn't fighting back, and that his claws were sheathed. His legs and spine quivered, but he held her gaze unwaveringly.

"What are you doing?" she demanded. "Fight me!"

Without waiting for a reply, she ripped her claws down his side. Blood welled from gashes all over him, soaking through his golden fur and matting it together in clumps.

All of a sudden, the howling of wolves ripped through the air. Their angry cries overpowered the yowls and stifled battle. Cats stood frozen in the middle of slashing or biting their enemies. Fur rose and ears pricked, as the sounds of the wolves got louder. Normally, she would like wolves..._a_ wolf, but these wolves did not seem happy. At all.

"Liar!" the wolves shrieked to the heavens. "The cat is a liar!" A fearful recognition flashed in the eyes of the tortoiseshell before her, a look of pure panic. The sound of heavy paws thudding on the ground rumbled and shook like thunder.

"Retreat, ThunderClan!" a voice commanded.

"ShadowClan, fall back!"

At that moment, a pack of wolves burst into the clearing. Their eyes burned with rage, and their paws pounded the ground as if they were intent on leveling it. They ran with purpose, straight for...That Cat. What would they want with him?

"You lied, cat!" snarled a huge she-wolf running at the head of the pack. "You were warned!"

The wolves divided, skirting the edges of the clearing and preventing both Clans from fleeing the area. The cats backed away in terror, clumping together in the center.

"What do they want?" frantic mews sounded.

"Why have they come?"

"They're back!"

"But he led them off!"

The she-wolf at the front jumped through the air, her paws landing with a tremor directly in front of That Cat. He staggered, falling to his side with a thud. He struggled to get up again, but the wolf's huge paw prevented the action. She bent low, so that her long maw was right next to his mortified face.

"We warned you," she said in a low, threatening growl. "We told you what we would do if you misled us, and yet you defied us anyway. I look forward to decorating my den with your pelt!"

_Wow,_ she thought. _Harsh._

"But we're not going to slaughter _just_ you," a new, male voice sounded. Another wolf of equal size to the she-wolf stepped up from behind. "First, we'll shred the pelts of every member of your cat pack, while you watch!"

"No..." That Cat whispered...in wolf?! How could he speak wolf?! "Leave...leave them out of it!"

"We _might_ just let them live," began the she-wolf. "If, that is, you tell us where we can find the Hero of Twilight!"

She stiffened in shock. Hero...of...Twilight?! Link! Those wolves were looking for Link!

"He..." His breathing was labored, and she realized that most of that was probably due to the injuries she had inflicted on him.

"Don't you _dare_ tell them where he is!" she suddenly snapped in the language of cats. "Or so help me, I'll rip your throat open!" He looked sideways at her in surprise, then looked back at the wolves.

"Past...RiverClan," he murmured. "There are...mountains. He's hiding...there."

"You had best not be lying this time, cat! Filthy, worthless piece of dirt!" The she-wolf batted him away as if he were a mere leaf, called her wolves together with a single bark, and the whole group headed off through the pine trees. There was a frigid stillness in the cats until the last tail vanished from sight.

"They're headed towards ShadowClan!" Russetfur yowled in rage. "What did you say?!"

"They won't...attack...you. Mountains..." The past events apparently were too much for That Cat. He shivered, closed his eyes, and didn't move after that.

"He needs to see Leafpool, right away," meowed the dark tabby from before. "Lionblaze, Thornclaw, help carry him back to camp."

The two cats who must have been Lionblaze and Thornclaw picked up the weight of That Cat and supported him on their backs. They traveled as swiftly as possible, disappearing in the bracken. The ThunderClan deputy locked a cold gaze with Russetfur before he too departed, the rest of his patrol following close behind.

_He told them,_ she thought as she curled up in the sun back at the ShadowClan camp. _He told them where to find Link...I'll never forgive him. Ever!_ Yet, a tiny portion of her wanted to believe that he lied, that Link really wasn't in the mountains after all. Then, a thought occurred to her. _How could he even know who the Hero of Twilight is?_ She didn't have the answer to that. _But he must have known...the wolves wouldn't have tracked him down if he didn't._

She tried to find a comfortable position to lie in, but remained unable.

---~-~---

"Welcome back," Link heard a male voice slur. Well, maybe it wasn't the voice that made the words blurry so much as his head. It hurt. A _lot_.

"Uhnnn...wha' happ'n'?" Upon hearing his own bleary words, he instinctively shook his head to clear it, and found that was a grave mistake. The world spun in a mix of gray and brown, and his ears rang in protest. He blinked his eyes slowly, trying to make his head settle and figure out where he was. He recognized the familiar surroundings of the medicine den, and the figures of Leafpool, Jayfeather, Hollyleaf, and Lionblaze. Wait, why were Hollyleaf and Lionblaze in here?

"The wolves came back," Hollyleaf mewed quietly. "Don't you remember?"

Link was suddenly extremely alert. He quickly tried to get up, but his muscles roared defiance and prevented him from doing so. Wearily, he sank back into the nest.

"Don't move around so much!" Leafpool meowed. "You'll shake off the cobwebs and poultices!"

He looked back at himself for the first time, surprised that his torso was now plastered with multiple cobwebs and sticky substances. Most of them were tinged with a ruddy color, and he realized that they must be holding back his own blood.

"Honestly," Leafpool mewed with an exasperated smile, "I should make you your own personal nest in here!" Link merely sighed a breath that hardly constituted for a laugh.

_Midna..._

She was there. She was in the fight...she hurt him. She despised him, and yet she didn't know who he was. If only she knew he was really Link, then...what then? That didn't change much.

But it did. At least he'd have the support of his only companion, his friend. But then...what about the three siblings? Hollyleaf, Lionblaze, and Jayfeather? They were sort of his friends too, now.

Then there was the looming threat of the wolves. He doubted that they would stay away this time...how much time had he bought himself by telling them to go to the mountains? He would have to be out of here by then...or at least be Hylian. Or even wolf. _Something_.

_I can't let these innocent cats get hurt because of me. I won't!_

---~-~---

It took a while for Lionblaze and Hollyleaf to leave, and then for Leafpool to go collect more herbs for the other injured warriors. Jayfeather was organizing the herb storage, so the only other cat in the den was Link.

"So, um..." Jayfeather began, "what exactly did the wolves say to you? What do they want?" Link didn't reply for a moment.

"They...they're looking for a cat called the Hero of Twilight," he finally responded. "Before, I had told them to look past the ShadowClan territory."

"But?" Jayfeather asked.

"Well...they didn't find him. So they came back."

"And what did you say this time?"

"I told them to go past RiverClan and into the mountains. I figured it would take them long enough to get back that I would be gone by then."

_...Gone? Does he...want to leave?_

For some reason, the thought did not sit well with Jayfeather. Then another thought struck him.

"The Tribe!" he exclaimed.

"Tribe?" Link asked.

"They're a group of cats, much like a Clan, that live in the mountains," replied Jayfeather.

"And I told the pack...argh!" Jayfeather heard the tom pound his paw into the ground. "All I'm doing is putting more cats in danger! They shouldn't be a part of this..." He spoke through gritted teeth, and his voice trailed off.

"Link," Jayfeather started, "do you know who and where this Hero of Twilight really is?"

"...No." Jayfeather couldn't be sure if he was telling the truth, but when he tried to probe the tom's mind, all he got was a raging cloud of hurt, anger, betrayal, despair, and doubt. The emotions were so strong that the medicine cat was forced out, and he remained dizzy for a moment after severing the connection between their minds.

_I'll walk in his dreams tonight,_ Jayfeather thought to himself. _Even if I don't want to._

It must have been close to moonhigh, but the loner still hadn't fallen asleep. He simply sat in his nest, waves of negative feelings drifting off of his pelt like a tide. Finally, after long last, he sank into slumber. Jayfeather made sure that Link's breathing was long and even before he began to probe his mind. Once more, he pictured himself walking out of his own mind to lie next to the tortoiseshell. It didn't take long to drift into the tom's troubled mind.

Jayfeather opened his eyes to sight. A light, azure sky was above him, and lush green grass was below him. Cool winds made little ripples across the grass, and a strange golden bug was crawling to the top of a broad-leafed plant. Was this Hyrule? It was pretty. He couldn't see Link anywhere though, so he decided to go search for him.

As Jayfeather walked, he realized that he could see for hundreds of fox-lengths. The grasslands stretched into the distance, vanishing from sight before their borders were apparent. What a giant field! It would take moons to travel from one end to the other, Jayfeather decided. Then...would he be able to find Link before he woke up?

A constant thrumming sounded behind Jayfeather, alerting him to a huge, reddish-brown animal that was galloping through the grasses. It had a long snout and paws made of stone, and its legs were tough and muscular. A horse, or so he thought. He had never seen one, of course, but he had heard descriptions of them. They carried Twolegs on their backs, allowing the strange creatures to travel farther and faster. Horses must be so mousebrained.

The pounding of the stone paws slowed as the horse approached Jayfeather, and he could finally get a good look at the Twoleg that was riding it. The Twoleg seemed young enough, not that Jayfeather was a good judge of Twoleg ages. He didn't appear fully grown, but he wasn't a kit, either. The fur atop his head was a light, golden color, and his eyes were a deep blue. His ears were long and pointed, a characteristic Jayfeather had never seen on a Twoleg. He had a smooth-looking brown material on his front and hind paws, which seemed slightly familiar in a strange way. The pelt he wore was a forest green, and another pelt of the same color covered the top of his head.

"Look, Epona," the Twoleg spoke in a strange barking noise as he pat the neck of the horse, "it's a cat! What's it doing all the way out here?"

_I...can understand Twolegs?! How can I understand Twolegs?! Well...I...I guess...it_ is _a dream, after all. That's it, right..._

The Twoleg, to Jayfeather's horror, climbed off the horse's back and approached him. His fur rose up in fear, making him look almost double his actual size.

"Don't be scared," the Twoleg soothed. "Do you miss your owner? How did you wind up in the field?" He kept a distance of a few tail-lengths, but he was still closer than Jayfeather would have liked.

"We can take you back to your home," a new, shrill voice sounded. Jayfeather almost jumped when he realized that it was the horse who spoke. Her head was turned to him, and her eyes were soft and compassionate.

"Wait a minute," the Twoleg began, the lines of fur on his face arched in what Jayfeather guessed was confusion. The Twoleg was right next to him now, and he crouched low. Jayfeather wanted to run away right there, but his disloyal paws wouldn't let him move. "Are you...Jayfeather?! Is that you?"

Jayfeather froze.

_He...he_ knows _me! He knows who I am! The Twoleg knows me! Why would some random Twoleg from Link's dream know me?! Where_ is _Link anyway?!_

"I-I'm looking for Link!" Jayfeather stuttered.

"Oh," the horse whinnied with a nod. "That's--"

Her words were cut off as a flaming, pointed stick whisked right by the Twoleg's head. He jumped to his feet, already holding a sharp-looking, gleaming silver object in his left paw and a flat, blue-and-silver object in his right paw.

"Watch out, Jayfeather!" he cautioned. "Behind me!"

It was then that Jayfeather saw the threat come over the hills. Several green creatures that resembled small Twolegs charged towards them, their bright crimson eyes glinting with a lust for battle. They wore brown pelts, and they held strange, curved objects. They raised these objects now, setting more flaming sticks against thin, cobweb-like things attached to the curved objects. They released the sticks, which somehow flew in great arcs towards Jayfeather, the horse, and the Twoleg. The Twoleg raised the flat, blue object, and the few sticks that made it to them were deflected off of it.

It was then that the Twoleg ran at the green creatures. He met them with his long, shiny, silver thing, even though he was outnumbered seven to one.

"What are you doing?!" Jayfeather demanded, even though it seemed that the Twoleg could not understand him. "That mousebrain will get himself killed," Jayfeather grumbled under his breath.

"Don't doubt him," the horse neighed, almost defensively. "He's gone against countless foes and impossible odds, and he always comes out on top anyway."

Jayfeather looked back at the seemingly pointless battle, to find to his surprise that there were only a few of the creatures left standing. The Twoleg brought his sharp object around him in a great circle, slicing through the torsos of the three remaining enemies. They fell to the ground and exploded, and the Twoleg replaced his strange objects at his back.

"See?" the horse asked, a smug note in her voice.

Suddenly, a dark, malignant laughter sounded in the air. It shook the sky, resonating all around and making it impossible to tell where it originated.

"Well done, Hero," the voice boomed, sarcasm dripping from its tone. "But how long can you continue to spit out lies? The truth will come forth soon!"

The light sky abruptly pitched into a hazy orange, the land shaping from pleasant field to wicked nightmare. Jayfeather felt as if his soul was being ripped out of his body, and he locked his limbs to his torso as if to contain it. The horse reared in alarm and vanished, leaving only a glowing sphere behind. If Jayfeather reached out with his senses enough, he found he could see the outline of the large animal. Meanwhile, the Twoleg was convulsing as if in pain, crying out from whatever was afflicting him. He fell to his knees, then to his front paws, and with a final scream, his body turned completely black.

Both Jayfeather and Link awoke with freezing chills in their hearts.

**Post-Notes:** Sooo, watcha think? =D Please review, and I'll see you in chapter 10!

--Hopefully going to update sooner,

**Player4**


	11. Chapter 10: First Victim

**Author's Notes:** Still sick, so still not the best writer ever. But I couldn't keep you waiting any longer for that one, and now I can't stop writing, even if allowing time for my health to get better will improve my writing quality. Am I making any sense? Oy...let's see how I do in this chapter then!

Also, there are a few things you can look out for from me in the future. (1) Some Zelda fanfiction crack with an actual plotline (2) A ZeldaXDofus crossover (3) A ZeldaXHost crossover. I look forward to these ^-^ Maybe you do too! At any rate, please read, review, and enjoy! I expect _Power, Wisdom, and Fur_ to go on for a long time =)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Warriors or Zelda. I haven't gotten over that fact as of yet.

--~-~-~--

**Chapter 10: First Victim**

"He dreamed last night," Jayfeather told Lionblaze and Hollyleaf quietly. The three were sitting not far from the warriors' den, and the sun had not quite risen yet.

"You walked in his dreams?" Lionblaze asked. "I thought you were against that now."

"Times change," Jayfeather murmured darkly.

"So what was it about?" Hollyleaf couldn't disguise the curiosity in her voice.

"I didn't see him at all," replied Jayfeather. "But there was a Twoleg with pointed ears, wearing a green pelt. He was riding on the back of a horse in a field somewhere in Hyrule."

"That's...weird," concluded Lionblaze. "Why would he dream about that?"

"I don't know. But listen to this...I could understand the words of both the Twoleg and the horse, and the Twoleg _knew_ me. I mean, he recognized me, and he knew my name! He addressed me!"

"Ugh," Hollyleaf grumbled. "I'm past trying to figure out that loner's dreams anymore. So was there anything else?"

"A mob of green creatures attacked us," Jayfeather began, "and the Twoleg killed them all by himself! Then, a voice out of nowhere told him that he couldn't lie anymore, and that the truth would come out. The voice called him 'Hero'. And I wonder...if that has anything to do with the Hero of Twilight that the wolf pack is looking for."

"It could be," mewed Hollyleaf. "If the Hero is in Link's dreams, and the wolf pack is questioning Link about where he is..."

"They must be linked--er, connected somehow," Jayfeather decided. _**(1)**_

At that moment, the loner in question emerged from the medicine cat's den. He yawned and stretched, unintentionally shaking off the remedies Leafpool had applied to his wounds. Although Jayfeather didn't see the action, the scent of herbs reminded him that he should probably check the injuries anyway. He trotted over to the den's entrance, Hollyleaf following for lack of anything better to do. Lionblaze went back into the warriors' den, perhaps to see if any other cat was awake yet.

As Jayfeather collected the fallen herbs, Link tried to stifle another yawn.

"Sorry," he apologized, "didn't get much sleep last night."

"I can't imagine why," Jayfeather muttered under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing," mewed Jayfeather quickly.

"Hey..." Hollyleaf started. "What happened to your injuries?"

"Huh?" Link looked back at himself, noticing what seemed for the first time that his wounds were now nothing more than faint scars. Jayfeather placed a paw on Link's back, trying to find out where the wounds were.

"You've completely healed," he mewed disbelievingly. "How could you recover so quickly?!"

"I, um, I'm not sure," Link faltered. He looked down at the mark on his left paw, knowing fully well how his rapid recovery had occurred. It was no accident; he had known the Triforce of Courage aided him physically quite often.

"Well, you can go back to your duties now," Jayfeather mewed in a slightly shaky voice. "However you did it."

Jayfeather listed to Link mew his thanks and walk off, then went inside the herb storage. He needed some time to think, where he wouldn't be disturbed. Usually, with a mystery, there were clues that helped you solve the problem. They fit together evenly, and everything matched up. With Link, however, the more clues Jayfeather found, the more mysteries were created.

_What if the clues don't fit together in the end? What if there isn't an end? Will I ever find out?_

Jayfeather decided right then and there that if he didn't, he would probably go mad.

---~-~---

Hollyleaf found that she was walking side-by-side with Link as they followed the hunting patrol. For some odd reason that she couldn't explain, having him beside her, with his pelt occasionally brushing ever so slightly against hers, made her own pelt feel hot and prickly. A few times, her disobedient paws caused her to trip and lose her balance on stray rocks or twigs. What was wrong with her?

Suddenly, she found herself falling face-first to the ground. A brown paw flashed out from her right, supporting her chest and stabilizing her. As the marked paw touched her though, she had a moment of total clarity of thought and senses. She was hyperaware, and she took notice of every little pebble and twig around her, while still she was able to think clearly and certainly. She was also aware of the burning sensation that the touch of Link's paw had on her pelt. Though the gesture lasted but a single heartbeat, to Hollyleaf, it felt like an eternity.

"Careful there," his friendly voice cautioned.

"Sorry, I," Hollyleaf stuttered, "I guess I'm just out of it this morning."

"We all have those days," he agreed good-naturedly.

The patrol stopped near the corner made by the lake and the WindClan border, where it dispersed. Hollyleaf found that her still-stubborn paws gravitated towards where Link was headed, however much she tried to stop herself. At that point she gave up fighting her strange, conflicted feelings, and decided to tag along with him. It wasn't like he would mind anyway; he was friendly, caring, strong, brave...

_Ummm..._ she thought. _Why am I thinking this way? What's wrong with me?_

She shook her head after asking herself that question for the second time today. Hollyleaf longed for the clearness and awareness she had felt when...when she had touched the triangle mark on his paw! Something clicked in her mind then, and her thoughts abruptly began to race.

_When Jayfeather touched the mark, he could see! When I touched the mark, I could think! What is it about that pattern? It was in his dreams, too..._

Her thoughts trailed off as her senses alerted her to a new feeling in the air. It was cold, rigid, unforgiving, and dark. It felt...evil. The whistling of the wind, which usually sounded like a pleasant song, now rang with the faint moans and screams of terrified souls. The shadows became thicker, the trees taller and more formidable. The sky took on a dingy shade of orange, a twisted dusk. At that moment, one of the tree shadows near her began to glow red. A wispy, black Twoleg paw with crimson markings reached slowly out of it, followed by a foreleg, a shoulder, a head.

Hollyleaf knew that she should run, wanted to run until her lungs gave out, but she remained petrified, rooted to the spot. The creature that climbed out of the shadows across from her looked half-cat, half-Twoleg, with burning red eyes and raven black fur. Its ferocious eyes locked onto hers, and it moved slowly towards her. She let loose a scream, and suddenly she was free to move again. Her paws thudded the ground as she desperately tried to run away, her chest burning with the effort. The shadow creature glided swiftly across the forest floor, getting ever closer... Hollyleaf burst through the bracken, spotting Thornclaw and Cloudtail.

"Hollyleaf!" Thornclaw yowled in alarm. "What is it?!"

"Run!" Hollyleaf screeched.

The shadow emerged from her, but rather than fleeing from it, Thornclaw placed himself between the creature and Hollyleaf. He arched his back, claws unsheathed and fur risen.

"What are you _doing_?!" Hollyleaf demanded.

The creature swiped its black paw at Thornclaw, who dodged easily. He jumped at the monster's throat, but it grabbed him by the scruff. Hollyleaf tried to aide him, but a voice rang out that froze her.

"Hollyleaf! Don't touch it!"

A mottled blur charged through the undergrowth, intercepting her attack. It was Link, shoulders heaving and fur sticking up.

"What?! Why?!" she demanded.

She got her answer when Thornclaw began to vanish. His image faded, leaving only a pale glowing ball that floated to the ground.

"Where did he go?!" Cloudtail yowled in horror.

"Hone your senses," Link meowed. "Train your eyes and ears well, and you'll see him."

Hollyleaf noticed that something had changed in Link, something she could see in his eyes. She shut her own eyes tightly for a moment, trying hard to focus on her senses. When she opened them again, she could see the faint outline of Thornclaw, laying on the ground. Only the light rise and fall of his stomach showed that he was alive.

"Don't let the shadow beast touch you," Link warned through gritted teeth, "or you'll become a spirit. I'll hold it off, you two run. Now!"

"But you'll--" Hollyleaf started.

"Don't worry about me!" Link cut her off. "Get out of here!"

"I won't!" Hollyleaf stepped around his side, determined to stay with him.

The looming black paw struck out at Hollyleaf, but Link jumped in front of her and took the blow.

"No!" Hollyleaf yowled.

The shadow monster grabbed him and picked him up in one paw, while Hollyleaf watched in terror. She narrowed her eyes, and made to run for the creature.

"Don't touch it!" Link spit. He dug his teeth deep into the shadow's paw, causing it to drop him. He landed firmly, and he glared at Hollyleaf. "I told you to leave," he mewed angrily. Was he angry at her?

"But you didn't turn into a spirit!" Hollyleaf protested. "So if you didn't, why would I?"

"It's not something I can explain right now!" Link sprang at the monster's throat, locking onto its shoulders with his claws and biting at its neck several times. He jumped off as it fell backwards, and it dissolved into square, black particles. The particles flew into the air and vanished, and as they did, the sky returned to its normal shade of blue.

The bushes rustled, and Cloudtail, Sandstorm, and Dustpelt emerged.

"I found the rest of the patrol," Cloudtail mewed between tired breaths, "but it looks like you've already taken care of...it."

"So this is what has become of Thornclaw," Sandstorm mewed sadly as she approached the glowing orb. "The Clan will sit vigil tonight."

"Actually," Link spoke, "that won't be necessary."

He walked up to the spirit that was Thornclaw, senses sharp and alert. The tom was slowly getting to his paws, blinking in confusion and looking around.

"Where is everyone?" he asked.

"We're right here!" Sandstorm meowed.

"Hello?" Thornclaw called.

"He can't hear or see you," Link told the group, "but you can see him if you focus your senses."

Link picked up a stick in his mouth, and tapped it on the ground in front of Thornclaw.

"What are you doing?" Dustpelt asked skeptically.

"Floating stick!" Thornclaw exclaimed, taking a few steps back. "That's it, I'm dreaming!"

"Ahm gettin' 'im to cum wiff me," Link meowed around the stick in his mouth. He tapped Thornclaw lightly on the head with it, and drew a vertical line in front of him.

"It hit me! I'm not dreaming!"

Link ran the stick along the line again, walked over to Thornclaw, then walked away from him.

"Do you want me to follow you?" Thornclaw asked. Link nodded, but all Thornclaw saw was a bobbing, levitating stick. "Um, okay..."

Link traced lines in the ground with the stick, while Thornclaw and the others followed incredulously.

"Where are we going?" Hollyleaf asked.

"Moonpool," Link replied.

The group of cats traveled parallel to the river marking the WindClan border, and the ground below them eventually started to slope upwards. When the ridge that stood before the entrance to the sacred medicine cat area appeared, Link quickened his pace. He scaled the rock face easily, and halted at the top.

"I can't go there," Thornclaw mewed. "The Moonpool is for medicine cats, not warriors." Link tapped the ground with the stick a few times. "I can't!" Thornclaw meowed.

"Oh yes you can," Cloudtail grumbled. He tried to nudge Thornclaw towards the ridge, but his shoulder passed through the warrior's flank. "How will we get him to go?" Cloudtail asked. "We can't touch him!"

Link sighed, put down the stick, and hopped to the ground. Maybe Cloudtail and the other warriors couldn't touch Thornclaw, but he might be able to. Unsure, he prodded Thornclaw's foreleg. The spirit warrior started, looked around, then frowned. Link then crossed behind him and nudged him towards the slope. Thornclaw jumped, and his neck fur rose.

"Who's there?" he demanded fearfully. Link just pushed him again. "Alright, alright!" Thornclaw mewed, giving in. "I'll go to the Moonpool!"

"How were you able to do that?" Dustpelt demanded.

"Not sure," Link replied with a shrug, not meeting the dark tabby's eyes. He bounded up the side of the cliff face once more, grabbed the stick when he was at the top, and led Thornclaw down the dimpled path. The two halted by the water's edge, and Link set the stick down.

"What do I do now?" he wondered aloud. "The StarClan warrior said they would heal any cats who turned into spirits..." He looked at the pool again, and an idea struck. He picked up the stick for the last time, and tossed it into the water. Thornclaw watched as it hit the surface of the pool, trying to figure out what he was supposed to do.

"Do you want me to get in the water?" he asked. He took a hesitant step forward, then submerged a front paw in the crystalline pool. "Ah! Where'd it go?!" Sure enough, his paw began to retake its original, material form. As he drew it out of the water though, the spirit side took it over once more. Thornclaw sighed in relief, but Link sighed in frustration.

At that point, he shoved Thornclaw right into the pool. _**(2)**_

"Ahk!" he exclaimed, his mouth and nose filling with the sacred water. He saw Link for the first time, and his eyes turned confused and angry. "What was that for?! Are you mousebrained?! Where did you even _come_ from?!" At that moment, it was Link's turn to sigh in relief.

"Welcome back to the living," he mewed with a wry grin. He turned around and headed back up the path, with the furious, sopping warrior at his tail.

"I still want answers!" Thornclaw meowed angrily as he reached the top of the rise. "I--"

"Thornclaw!" a group of voices called happily from below. Link just grinned as Thornclaw looked in confusion from the group below them to the tom next to him. He watched Link climb down, then followed.

"We thought you were crowfood," Hollyleaf mewed.

"What did you do, Link?" Sandstorm asked.

"I pushed him into the water," Link replied with a crooked smile.

"Wait," Thornclaw meowed, "what exactly happened to me?"

"You were turned into a spirit by the power of shadow," explained Link. All humor previously in his voice was gone.

"I...I was?" Thornclaw asked, suddenly horrified.

"We need to get back to camp," Sandstorm mewed. "We have to tell Firestar about these..."

"Shadow beasts," Link informed her.

"Right, shadow beasts." She nodded, turned around, and ran back into the forest with the rest of the patrol close behind.

---~-~---

"So, what exactly are these things?" Firestar asked Link once the patrol had returned to camp. They were inside Firestar's den, along with Sandstorm, Brambleclaw, and Leafpool.

"They're evil creatures twisted by shadow," Link replied. "They used to be regular...cats, but the king who rules the Twilight transformed them. They used to plague only Hyrule, but it looks like the Twilight has expanded as far as here..." His voice trailed off, and he grit his teeth. It was supposed to be _his_ job to keep the Twilight back, but he was failing...

"But how did the shadow beast turn Thornclaw into a spirit?" Brambleclaw mewed.

"That's just the effect of the Twilight," Link shrugged. "Just as shadows can't exist in light, light can't exist in shadows. Those who dwell in the light are turned into spirits by the darkness."

"But weren't you able to touch the shadow beast without being transformed?" inquired Sandstorm. "You killed it, after all. How did you do it?"

"I...I'm...not sure."

_Worst. Lie. Ever._ Link felt claws in his stomach. _But what do I tell them? That I'm the Hero chosen by the goddesses? That I hold a piece of a mystical relic of omnipotence? That I'm not even really a cat?!_

"Well then, how did you know to take Thornclaw to the Moonpool so he could regain his original form?" Leafpool questioned.

"A cat with stars in her fur told me that StarClan could heal the cats who were turned into spirits," Link answered honestly. All four cats in front of him jumped, their eyes widened and mouths hanging open in astonishment.

"H-how...who?!" Firestar stuttered, at a total loss for words. "What did she look like?" he asked once he was able to speak a coherent phrase.

"Um," Link thought for a moment. "She was kinda slender, and she had a tortoiseshell pelt."

"Spotted...leaf?" Link heard Firestar mew under his breath.

"Spottedleaf spoke to you..." Sandstorm mewed disbelievingly.

Leafpool exchanged a glance with Firestar, who nodded slightly.

"You may go," Firestar told Link. Link nodded, and left the den full of relief.

_**(1)**_ I'm sorry, really. But I had to =D

_**(2)**_ I feel the strange urge to push someone into a pool of water right now. You should run.

**Post-Notes:** So, um, yeah! Kinda short, but I couldn't really think of anything else after that. So you'll just have to wait for the next chapter!

Also, I was wondering. A question for my readers! Based on my writing, or maybe a guess, how old do you guys think I am? I'm really curious! Hehe, this could be fun =D

--Your good buddy,

**Player4**


	12. Chapter 11: A Gathering Gone Awry

**Author's Notes:** FRETFULLY SORRY FOR THE HORRIBLY LONG WAIT! It won't happen again... Sorry about that T^T I can't even begin to really apologize for a gap that huge, but at least I have the chapter now, right? Right? Well, anyway, it was _your_ continued messages that kept me going! I can't express how happy it makes me to see that people out there really do like my writing! So review this chapter XD

In other news, you know that I asked how old you thought I was at the end of the last chapter (just out of curiosity!). One person thought I was around 21-23! That made me happy. s0 u rly th1nk im a gud rit3r? Anyway, most of you got it right. When I began writing this story, asked that question, and started work on the long-awaited Chapter 11, I was 14. Now, however, I'm 15. It's, uh, it's been a while...

Lastly, it would seem that I have a superfan. Her name is Isuza, and I've received a few messages from her asking me to finish the chapter, as well as a message from her friend asking me to finish the chapter so Isuza will quit being annoying :P Now, that's not to say that I didn't get messages from other people...I just got more from her than what the average person wrote (which was 1, haha).

Anyway, here's the next chapter! This caused me physical pain to get finished, so I hope you like it. THIS IS FOR YOU, ISUZA (and all the rest of you out there, too!). As always, read, review, and enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I still own neither Warriors nor The Legend of Zelda. ...But wouldn't it be so awesome if I did?

**Chapter 11: A Gathering Gone Awry**

It was that hour between the day and night, when the light was pure and warm. Twilight. Normally, the very thought of an orange sky would send a small tremor down Link's spine, but this twilight was just as it was the day before, clean and natural. It wasn't provoked by a shadow, pushed onto an unwilling world by an evil king. And, as Link gazed at the soft glow of the sky, he had to admit that Midna was right. The twilight _was_ beautiful, in its own way. For a moment, as he looked at the serene forest, he felt perfectly content.

"Link?" Firestar's voice called. The golden tom looked up to see the leader coming towards him. "Good, there you are. I hope you haven't tired yourself out too much today, because I've decided you'll be coming to the Gathering tonight."

"Me?" Link asked, startled. "But that's a thing for Clan cats!"

"Exactly. No one other than a Clan cat is going." With that, Firestar walked off, leaving Link no opportunity to protest.

_Only Clan cats are going,_ Link thought to himself. _I'm going..._ His eyes suddenly widened. _Does he mean that he thinks of me as a part of the Clan? No, no, I can't...I'm not. I've grown too comfortable here in the forest...I forgot that I don't belong in it. I don't belong here._

"Your first Gathering! How exciting!" Link's thoughts were disrupted by Hollyleaf's bright voice, and he turned to his side to see her green eyes sparkling.

"Er, yeah," Link replied awkwardly.

"Link's going to the Gathering?" It was Lionblaze, who walked up to join them. "That's great!" It seemed to Link that the burly tom was genuinely happy for him.

That felt kind of nice.

The full moon shone down on the lake and the traveling cats, setting both in a tinge of silver radiance. The water shimmered in the dimness, its every wave reflecting a fragment of the moonlight. The air was peaceful, if a little chilly. The leaves on the ground, scattered about bare trees, were a reminder that snow would come soon.

Eventually, the ThunderClan cats approached a huge fallen tree, bridging the gap between the marsh and a small island. Link remembered Millie telling him about it not long after he first arrived. Then, he had been viewing it from the top of a hill. Now, however, it seemed much bigger. There would be cats from every Clan here, and he was uncomfortably aware that several of them would probably recognize him.

_Nothing I can do about it now,_ he thought, tail twitching slightly with unease.

Another group of cats was already heading across the tree-bridge, who Link identified as WindClan by the familiar scent of moors and rabbits. The warriors began to travel along the narrow trunk, until there were only a few cats left to cross. One young apprentice, a dark gray tabby, was a little reluctant to follow. She had climbed up near the roots of the tree, and was staring down the tapering trunk with wide eyes.

"I-I can't, Willowclaw," she stuttered, "I'm too scared!"

"Don't be afraid," a gray she-cat who must've been Willowclaw soothed. She stood farther down on the tree, and was looking back with calm green eyes. "Just grip the bark with your claws. You'll be alright."

The apprentice took a hesitant step forward, gaping at the tree before her and the water below her. She slowly made her way to the middle, the remaining few WindClan warriors a couple of feet behind. She began to place another paw down, unaware of the slick patch of moss that was clinging to the trunk. Her paw slipped, and with a shriek, she lost her footing.

"Swallowpaw!" Willowclaw and the other warriors exclaimed. The cat that was closest to her tried to reach out, but it was too late. The apprentice, Swallowpaw, plummeted into the water with a _splash!_

Both the ThunderClan and WindClan warriors stood frozen with horror as Swallowpaw flailed in the water.

_Can none of them swim?_ Link thought frustratedly.

Without thinking, he ran to the edge of the bank and jumped into the lake.

"What are you _doing?_" many voices demanded. Some sounded angry, while some sounded utterly terrified.

Swallowpaw's head vanished under the dark surface only a few yards before Link, but the water still moved with her desperate kicking.

"You mousebrain!" Link heard the distinct voice of Lionblaze yowl. It was at that moment that Link took a deep breath and dove below the surface.

"LINK!" Hollyleaf screeched, but her voice sounded muffled.

The water was dark, so it was hard for Link to see the drowning apprentice. He didn't need to see her though, because her movements and yowls shook the water. He quickly located her and grabbed her scruff in his teeth. With a powerful kick, he surged upward. Air filled his lungs as both their heads broke the surface, and he pulled her through the water as fast as he could to the shore.

The WindClan warriors rushed to the bank, while the ThunderClan warriors backed off to make room. Swallowpaw coughed and spluttered, spewing out lakewater onto the marsh. She staggered to her paws, and Willowclaw ran up to her side to support her.

"Thank StarClan!" the she-cat breathed. Then she turned to Link. "You saved my apprentice's life," she mewed with a nod. "You have my gratitude."

"It was nothing, really," Link answered, his ears growing hot.

"Nothing?" asked Willowclaw, astonished. "You swam like a RiverClan cat! You even went _under_ the water!" She shook her head in disbelief.

"Willowclaw," Swallowpaw mewed in a weak voice, "I don't want to go to the Gathering."

"You don't have to," Willowclaw answered. "We can go back to camp together. Come on, lean on me." She guided her apprentice away, while the remaining WindClan warriors made their way to the island.

"I'll tell Onestar that you won't be attending," one of them mewed with a nod. Willowclaw flicked her tail in acknowledgment, and left with Swallowpaw.

All the eyes of the ThunderClan cats were on Link.

"That was incredible," someone meowed. A murmur of agreement rippled through the group. Firestar looked on with his vibrant green eyes, an indiscernible expression on his face. Then, without further hesitation, he jumped up onto the bridge and began to lead his warriors across.

"Link." The tom looked up to find Hollyleaf glaring at him, her emerald eyes hard but wide. Her statement had sounded hollow, as if she were trying to hide her emotions.

Then, she got pretty emotional.

_Whap!_ Link felt her paw hit him right on the side of his head. Her claws were sheathed, but the blow still sent sparks shooting in front of his eyes as it made contact with his face.

"Ow, hey! What in the world was that for?" he demanded.

"Don't ever scare me like that again!" she meowed. "You could've drowned, you mousebrain!" Her words were harsh, but there was a frightened tone to them.

"I was perfectly safe the whole time," Link countered with a frown. "I _know_ how to swim."

"What were you _thinking?_" Hollyleaf mewed.

"Oh, I don't know, something along the lines of 'Oh my gosh! That cat is going to drown! Why is everybody just standing around? I need to do something!'" He set his jaw, frustrated.

"Hmmph!" Hollyleaf turned around with her nose in the air, and joined the line of cats waiting for their turns to cross.

"Don't mind her," Jayfeather mewed. He came up from behind and stepped up to Link's side. "She was just worried, that's all. I mean, you jumped into the water. Your _head_ went under. For all we knew, you could've been drowning too. She'll get over it, though."

To Link, it seemed that Jayfeather's voice was strangely neutral. Maybe he was hiding his emotions as well. However, Link could only follow the rest of the Clan cats to the island.

_I think I just got the cat equivalent of a slap across the face,_ he thought with disbelief. He shook his head.

Link looked around him with wide eyes. This place looked so big! Huge pine trees rose up all around a massive clearing, where tons of Clan cats were talking and sharing tongues. Firestar jumped up onto a tall branch; he was the last leader to climb into the trees at head of the clearing.

"What kept you, ThunderClan?" one of the leaders asked. She had a spotted pelt, almost like a leopard's. Her voice was a little sour, rather than curious.

"One of WindClan's apprentices fell into the lake," Firestar answered, turning to look at the cat who must have been the leader of WindClan. "She-"

"_What?_" the WindClan leader exclaimed. "Who was it? Why did no one tell me?"

"I was getting to that," Firestar mewed. "One of my cats jumped into the water and saved her."

There was a stunned silence from the leaders and warriors.

_Don't say my name,_ Link thought. _Don't say my name,_ please _don't say my name..._

"Link."

_Dammit._

Link raised his head, ears pressed flat against it. Though his pelt was still wet and sopping, he felt a scorching heat burn through it. Why was attention always called to him? The gathered cats instantly broke into murmurs, each wondering about the strange outsider who had supposedly risked his life for a Clan cat.

"Hey," Link heard a voice near him hiss, "that's the loner we chased off our territory!" He looked wide-eyed at a ginger tom with white paws. "Is Firestar saying that that poor excuse for a cat joined ThunderClan?"

"Shut up, Weaselfur," Link heard Lionblaze retort from somewhere nearby. "If Link weren't in ThunderClan, Swallowpaw wouldn't be in WindClan!" Lionblaze, who was sitting a little in front of Link, turned around and sat next to him. Link nodded his thanks, and Lionblaze flicked his ears in reply.

"Link dove under the water to save Swallowpaw," Firestar continued. The chatter abruptly died down at the shocking remark. "She and her mentor returned to camp." There was a pause before the leader of WindClan spoke again.

"Thank you, Link."

"...Was nothing," Link managed to mumble, twitching his tail in discomfort.

"Now then," Firestar spoke up, "before anything else is discussed, there is something important that all the Clans must hear. If—"

"What's so important that you have to disrupt the order of the Gathering?" a white cat with black paws mewed skeptically. Firestar narrowed his eyes in frustration at being interrupted for the second time in the meeting.

"It's a matter of life and death," Firestar replied with a slight edge to his tone.

"Fine then," the other tom returned, "proceed." The leader was mature enough to not roll his eyes, but Link got the feeling that he was doing it on the inside.

"_Thank_ you," Firestar almost grumbled. Then, speaking to all the cats below, "It is crucial that all warriors listen to this. If any cat is turned into a spirit before their time by the forces of shadow, they must—"

"Turned into a spirit?" the leopard-spotted cat scoffed. "Firestar, have you got bees in your brain?"

"Can I _please_ convey a complete thought without being disrupted?" Firestar snapped. However, a pungent scent had just begun to creep its way over to the gathered cats. Murmurs of disgust rippled throughout the warriors.

"What is that stench?" a she-cat near Link asked, her nose scrunched up with distaste.

"Smells worse than ShadowClan," another joked.

"Say that to my face!" spat a third voice.

Link, however, recognized the smell immediately.

"Firestar," he called urgently, "they're coming."

"Right," the ThunderClan leader answered with a nod. He stood up on his branch and yowled to the gathered warriors. "Listen! Don't be alarmed, but everyone must evacuate as quickly as possible."

"What's the problem, Firestar?" the WindClan leader meowed quickly. Anxious murmurs began to spread within the Clan cats.

"Shadow cats. I'm sorry, Onestar, I'll have to explain later, but everyone needs to leave _now_."

Firestar jumped down from the tree and gathered his warriors together with a flick of his tail. ThunderClan began to make back for the bridge. Onestar remained on his branch, a troubled look on his face. Then, deciding, he too hopped to the ground and joined his warriors.

"Of all the mousebrained..." the black-footed leader began.

Suddenly, the bushes near the exit began to shake violently.

_Not good, not good!_ Link thought. He tried to push his way through the throng of panicked, bustling cats to the front, but he wound up squashed between numerous colored pelts.

Then, many simultaneous startled and terrified yowls split the air.

"What are those things?"

"Get back!"

"DON'T TOUCH THEM!" Link screeched as loudly as possible over the shrieking of horrified cats. "Let me through!"

"No! It's got—_augh!_"

"Where did they go?"

"Great StarClan, what's happening?"

"Let me _through!_" Link yowled again.

At that moment, the Gathering exploded into chaos.

Back at the ShadowClan camp, the night passed slowly and undisturbed. A certain she-cat stared frustratedly at the branches above her, wishing at the same time for sleep to come and something to distract her from resting. Something. Anything. This was boring. Giving up trying to get some shut-eye, she got up quietly and left the den. Once out, she partook in a luxurious stretch, yawning widely. A small fraction of her wished she could have gone with the other cats to their gathering event. At least it would have been something to do.

_Wait a minute,_ she thought, _what's keeping me here anyway? I can't believe I actually started to follow those dumb cat rules! I know, I'll just slip into shadow form and see what all the fuss is about._

There was one cat keeping watch that night, but he was outside of the camp and wouldn't see what she was about to do. Shutting her eyes, she willed her power to take effect. The shift from substance to shadow was a little slower this time thanks to her cat form, but within moments she opened her eyes once more.

Everything around her looked like a different shade of pale gray, the only exception being the other shadows. Like splotches of light, they sparkled with the true colors of the surroundings, or what the colors would have been if it were daylight out. She sighed contentedly; she always felt a kind of tranquility while connected with the shadows.

Abruptly, the tranquility ceased.

She could sense it, a dark magic of twilight at work. Many shadow beings were simultaneously created somewhere on the other side of the lake.

_Wait, isn't that where the cats are supposed to meet? Uh-oh. This isn't good..._

Shadow beings had been known to transform other creatures into their kind. If those beings attacked the meeting and were able to change all of those cats...

Traveling at the fastest shadow speed, she zipped across the shadows of the waves on the lake. She would be there within seconds, but would she be quick enough?

"Rrrgh!"

Link launched an attack at the nearest shadow monster. These creatures were different from the shadow cats, and even larger. He remembered with discomfort the last time he had fought the shadow cats. There had been only two of them then, and he had barely won. Not only that; the other shadow cats could be touched by normal warriors. But these new beings, they were much more fierce, and there were so many of them... Currently, Link struggled to keep up the fight. Within the first few minutes of battling, he had already acquired a few minor scratches. Cats were vanishing left and right, and he hadn't even downed a single monster.

He yelped as claws connected with his shoulder. He spun around, only to be nearly bowled over by a charging beast. Silently, he wished that he could turn into a wolf and use the powers that Midna offered him.

_A force field could come in handy right about now!_ he thought as he slashed at the face of a shadow cat.

As if on cue, a black circle, fringed with crackling orange energy, spread out over a part of the ground. The beasts that were standing on it found themselves coated with orange magic. Then, quick as a flash, a dark form darted at each affected monster in turn. They fell to the ground, dead.

_Midna!_ Link thought. _She came! Now, if I can keep her from killing me while I try to talk to her, that would be wonderful... A way to return me to my Hylian form could come in handy right about now!_ He paused. _No? I didn't think so._

As Midna's magic worked on the monsters in the clearing, Link fought his way to the entrance. Any cats that hadn't been transformed had since then fled, though a few of the spirits still lingered, confused. Link knew that would have to help them later, but now he had to focus on the task at hand. He sprang into the air, landing on the back of an unsuspecting shadow beast and killing it with a swift bite to the neck. He jumped off as it fell, not wasting a moment to fight more shadow cats.

Eventually, the number of enemies began to dwindle. Link paused to catch his breath, which came in long, ragged gasps. A gash ran down his side, though he wasn't sure if it was serious or not. He looked at the ground beneath his paws, which was stained with his blood. A screech from behind made him turn around quickly; the action made him slightly dizzy. He watched as Minda's magic disposed of all but two shadow monsters.

_Two left,_ Link thought with relief. _This battle's almost won!_

Tired and sore, he began making his way over to the last of the enemies, which he was sure would be dead by the time he got there. He watched as they lunged at a certain black and white she-cat; she avoided them with ease. At the sound of Link's approach, and she looked at him as if she just noticed his presence for the first time. As her amber gaze fell on his form, her eyes narrowed into slits. Angry slits. Then, almost instantly, they turned smug.

"Behind you," she said with a malicious grin.

Link didn't even have time to turn around before the beast crashed its paws down on his back.

Searing pain rushed through him as he collided with the ground, the weight of the monster crushing him. He tried to call out, but a choking, strangled gasp was all that left his lungs.

"How does it feel," a light, yet syrupy voice asked him, "to have your life ripped away?"

Link struggled to speak, but failed again. Blackness hovered at the edges of his vision. He felt the monster draw back its paw, and though he was certain that it was to deliver the final blow, he seized that one chance.

"Minda!" he called desperately. "It's _me!_"

Darkness swallowed his sight in an instant, and he knew no more.

**Post-Notes:** YAAHOOO~! I finally finished that godforsaken chapter! Sorry for leaving you with a cliffhanger, but I assure you, the next chapter will come much sooner than this one did! I'm just glad that I got through it! -does the happy dance-

Anyway, be sure to leave a nice review! Lots of reviews make me write more. You want that, don't you? XD

Well, see you in Chapter 12!

-Your good buddy,

**Player4**


	13. Chapter 12: Return

**Author's Notes:** Hey, guys and gals! This chapter isn't the longest one ever, but this update in general is jam-packed with extra goodies, and some RAGE. Oh, and it's also...*drumroll*...dun-da-da-duuuun! A _double-story special!_ Wait, what? YEAH. You'll just have to keep reading to find out more!

Okay, so first order of business. I was looking at my chapters posted on Fanfiction (which isn't something I normally do), and it occurred to me that the dividers that I type into the text have mysteriously vanished. And I have to wonder...were they ever there in the first place? It would seem that they don't get translated into the published chapter when I add it, and that might be because of the double spacing that I type in. Mind you, that's just a theory, but I also noticed that my double-spaces vanished as well. I'm going to do it differently from now on. Unfortunately, it would appear that I'm not able to edit my previous chapters to put dividers in. How inconvenient. At least I know about it now, though! All the coming chapters should have dividers intact, to make the reading easier (not to mention the transitioning apparent).

The second order of business concerns a few questions asked of me in reviews by some people who don't actually have accounts. Since I can't respond to them in private messages, I'll respond to them here.

Poisonpaw asked: "When you were writing this chapter, did you get a headache, or did you keep hitting your head on the keyboard or wall and then get a headache?"

My answer: A little of both.

Lucasmaster asked: "I've been wondering this for a while. Player as in gamer? Or player as in pimp?"

My answer: Gamer, absolutely.

Now that that's out of the way, it's time for the third order of business: RAGE.

I love that you guys like reading my story, I really do. But some of you seem to think that I'm just some random writer fairy that spews out stories for you to read whenever you want to, and that I myself don't have a life. Well guess what? I'm _not_ some writer fairy, and I have a life. What really gets me worked up is that some of you have the _gall_ to say, "Oh, well you have a good story, but I hate how you write slowly, and you should update sooner," or, "I command you to write more so I can read it now!" NOT cool. I have school. I have school _work_. On top of that, I'm enrolled in plenty of clubs, and until its recent end, I was in the marching band. We practiced for two and a half hours three or four days a week, and we had competitions every weekend. I'm not some disembodied writer. I'm a fifteen-year-old who has to deal with schoolwork, clubs, practices, insomnia, and ADD. I've been having a rough few months, and I'm _sah-ree_ that I can't devote _every fricking bit of energy_ to writing a story that I _don't even get paid to write_. I have to start thinking about college soon. I have to keep my grades up. I can't let _your wants_ get in the way of _my life_. I don't even know you. I get enough crap from life as it is, and I sure as hell don't need it from selfish readers. So be happy that I'm writing this at all, and _stop hounding me_.

To those of you who wait patiently for my chapters and _don't_ flood my inbox begging for more, I thank you very much. Again, I love that you enjoy my story. It makes me happy that my writing can entertain someone else. Thank you so much for sitting tight through the gaps between updates.

Fourth order of business. As I mentioned above, I'm not getting paid to write this story. HOWEVER, I am currently working on a book. Yeah, you heard—er, read me. I'm writing a straight-up, full-length, original novel. I've been writing it since September 14th, but it's a bit of a slow process. Most of it has been planning. This story is the most pre-planned work I've ever written, ever, and it's going to be awesome. I really can't explain it all now, and as much as I'd love to give you guys an excerpt, I'd be afraid that someone would steal my ideas. Because, unlike my fanfiction, I am going to get this shiznit _published_. I'm hoping that I can do it in time to get some funding for college. Hey, if you ever saw a fantasy novel written by me on the shelves, do you think you'd buy it? I know it's not really the best question I could ask, seeing as you don't know what it's about, but still, do you think you would, if only to support me and my work?

Fifth and final order of business. This concerns the double-story special. The first installment of a little short story I wrote can be found after the Post Notes at the end of this chapter. There will be another installment included at the end of each PWaF chapter until the short story's finish (which will come pretty soon, seeing as it isn't really a long work). This is a little of what's kept me busy for quite a while.

So, um, yeah. Remember to read, review, and enjoy! Just don't spam or flame me if you don't find the next chapter out as soon as you'd like. Honestly, I planned for this chapter to be out in October. Seeing as it is now November, I think that's pretty good.

Now, without further ado...the moment you've all been waiting for...Chapter 12 awaaaaaay!

**Disclaimer: **Whoops, just a little more ado. But it's important ado! I don't own Warriors or Zelda. As mentioned before, I don't get paid for writing this. Okay, _now_ it's time for Chapter 12!

**Chapter 12: Return**

_Midna! It's_ me!

For a moment, the world seemed to stop. It felt as though the ground melted away and the sky vanished, leaving only a pitch black void, empty, unfeeling, and unforgiving. Those words bounced around the space, echoing and dancing, mocking. All this time... The words grew louder and louder as they pounded through the void. All this time! How could she not see it? All this time!

It was _him!_

The world slammed back into existence. Everything was a blur of shadow, save for the one dark creature before her, who stood out crisply and perfectly. Time seemed to slow down as the monster raised its terrible hand, and in a moment of pure anger and loathing, she released the most vicious attack she had ever made.

The shadow beast shrieked in agony before falling to the ground, dead.

Without even turning around, she dispatched the remaining beasts with orange magic. At last, all was silent. In an instant, she was beside him.

Link hurt so much that he could hardly groan. As he lay, wracked in pain, dreading to open his eyes, he recalled the time he had fallen down the waterfall at Zora's domain. He was never certain if he had lost his consciousness as he hit the water, or while he was being dashed around in the river rapids. He had washed up on the shore of Lake Hylia, wondering how he hadn't drowned. When he had come to, the first sight he saw was Midna. She had been looking over him, her eyes betraying the hint of worry that she herself would never have shown.

As he groggily blinked open his eyes now, he saw a similar sight.

Midna was leaning over him, her amber eyes lit up in the darkness. Unlike before, worry was all over her face now. She sighed in relief as he opened his eyes.

"So you _do_ care," he mewed weakly, attempting a joking laugh. It was a bad idea though, because it quickly turned into a ripping cough. A slightly familiar taste entered his mouth, metallic with a salty tang. Blood.

"Idiot," Midna grumbled under her breath.

"Good to see you, too," Link replied with a tired grin.

"Link, I..." Midna began after a pause. For a moment, she looked conflicted, and she shut her eyes tightly. "I'm...I'm so sorry!" she blurted.

"For what?" Link asked, gaining him a shocked look from Midna.

"Always so oblivious..." Her mew seemed to hold a despairing twinge. "I did all those horrible things to you! I hurt you, I cursed you, and you just took it! Do you even care?"

"Maybe I did at the time, a little," responded Link after a moment of thought. "Sometimes it was frustrating, and other times it was saddening. None of that matters now, though."

"But how can you _say_ that?" Midna demanded. "How can you say that it doesn't matter?"

"Because it doesn't," Link stated simply. "What's done is done. We can't change the past." He gave a shrug, but he suddenly wished he hadn't after the resulting bolt of pain that shot down his spine.

"I, um, I still have all your stuff, by the way," Midna supplied awkwardly.

"That's some good news today!" The tom's eyes brightened. "Wait a moment, didn't I have some red potion?"

"Yes, you did!" Midna replied after a moment of shuffling through the magical space she had reserved for the hero's many items and weapons. She reached her orange hand-hair into the space, producing a glass bottle filled with a viscous red liquid. She pried the cap off with her teeth and held the bottle out so that its contents were close enough for Link to lap up.

"This stuff tastes horrible," laughed Link after he had ingested some of the potion. It was a full, healthy-sounding laugh he had given, which put Midna's mind at ease. The tom rose to his paws and stretched, sounding off a cacophony of pops and crackles.

"Aren't you going to cure all your injuries?" Midna inquired.

"Not yet," mewed Link. "I don't want the other cats to be too suspicious; they know that I heal quickly enough, but this would be far too unnatural. Besides, I can just heal at the Moonpool. I need to head there anyway."

"Moonpool?"

"It's like the Clan version of a spirit's spring. It restores cats who've turned into spirits, and it also heals wounds. Well, at least my wounds. I'm not sure about other cats, though."

"To the Moonpool it is, then, I guess," mewed Midna with a shrug.

"By the way," started Link, "you also still have the Master Sword, right?"

"No, I thought you had it," came Midna's startled reply.

"Damn!" Link cursed, claws carving lines in the ground before him. "Looks like we're going to need to track it down. For the gods' sakes, can't anything ever be easy?"

"If it makes you feel any better," Midna offered, "I _do_ have your curse. Even if you don't have your sword to change back, you can still be a wolf again. It's at least better than being a cat, right?"

"It is, only I can't just leave the Clans like this. I'm the only one they've got who can fight against the shadow beasts. I'll save my wolf form for an absolute emergency."

"If that's how you want it," mewed Midna with a nod. "But really, why do you care about those cats so much?"

"Because I..." Link trailed off. "Because they're my friends," he decided. "They took me in and helped me when I didn't have a clue about anything. Plus, I'm the only one they've got who can fight the shadow beasts."

"You and protecting your friends," sighed Midna with a roll of her eyes. "Alright, let's go to this Moonpool, then. Oh, I suppose you're planning on helping those spirits, too." She gestured with her tail towards the balls of light that by now had gathered together in a fearful group.

Link nodded in reply, crossed over to the group, and picked up a stick. _**(1)**_ Midna took a long look at the golden tom before jumping into his shadow. The resulting sound was familiar and wonderful as it fell on Link's ears, and he paused for a moment.

"Iss relly grae ta haae you 'ack, 'Ina," he spoke around the object in his mouth. Flicking his ears with distaste, he set the stick down. "I've missed you."

Midna didn't know how to reply as her partner led the group of lost spirits through the dark, quiet night.

Hollyleaf looked up at the full moon, worry knotting her stomach and paws kneading the dimpled ground in anticipation. She was at the Moonpool with the rest of the cats from the Gathering; the area usually reserved for medicine cats was hot, crowded, and buzzing with nervous chatter. The last few spirits were returning to normal, some cats were trying to explain what exactly was happening to those who didn't know, and leaders were trying to make sure that all members of their respective Clans were present.

"There's no sign of him yet, is there?" asked a voice to Hollyleaf's left. Lionblaze gazed out over the ledge, peering at the hills below.

"Not yet," replied the black she-cat's distraught mew. She had been sitting near the edge of the cliff face, looking out hopefully for any sign of their friend who had stayed behind. "Do you think something happened to him?"

"Who can say?" Lionblaze asked with a shake of his head. "You saw those things. You know how powerful they are. For all we know, he could be..." He didn't want to say it.

Hollyleaf shut her eyes, her ears pressed flat against her head and her tail stretched out along the ground. Taking a deep breath, she resumed her duties, her deep green eyes desperate.

_StarClan,_ she prayed, _please let nothing have happened. Please let him be alright..._

Suddenly, as if the world were waiting for that one request, a shape appeared on the horizon. It was fuzzy and out of focus, but it was moving quickly towards the Moonpool. Several shimmering forms followed closely behind it, and as it neared, Hollyleaf was certain.

"It's him!" she cried, relief washing through her like a tide. "It's Link!"

Murmurs erupted within the nearby cats, many of the voices belonging to ThunderClan warriors, along with a number of others.

"Oh, it's that one, the swimmer!"

"He made it!"

"That Link!

"If I could count the times I thought he'd be gone for sure..."

"ThunderClan picked up a good one!"

"Look, he's brought more spirits!"

Shortly afterward, the cat in question heaved himself up onto the path. The crowd made room as he staggered down the road of pawprints, leading the spirits to the water and leaving a trail of crimson behind him. He looked battered and broken, his golden fur caked with blood, but he was definitely alive. Hollyleaf wanted so much to run up to him; her fear of hurting him further was the only thing keeping her paws in place.

Tiredly, the tom shoved the remaining spirits into the icy water of the Moonpool. They resurfaced as their former selves, coughing and spluttering. Link collapsed into a sitting position by the side of the pool, his chest heaving. He stuck his own front paws tenderly into the water. For a tense moment, all was still. Then, in a sudden, brief flash of pale yellow light, his injuries completely healed.

_Aah,_ he thought with a contented sigh. _It works differently here than it does in Hyrule, but it sure is effective._

At that moment, he became uncomfortably aware that all present were staring at him with wide eyes and gaping mouths.

"How..." began a voice from the crowd, the possessor apparently being the first to gather his wits. "How...did you do that?"

"What?" asked Link, confused. "Doesn't it always do that?" He saw several heads shake, and immediately his ears grew hot. Murmurs exploded all around; the scorching feeling spread to the rest of Link's pelt.

A familiar yowl rang out, providing much welcome silence.

"Now that all of its members are present," Firestar mewed as though nothing was out of the ordinary, "ThunderClan will be leaving." With a sweep of his tail, he gathered his cats together and marched back up the path, which was still smeared a ruddy color.

Link took care to stay more towards the center of the group to avoid the stares from the other Clans. Relief washed over him as he hopped down the slope and began to head back to camp.

_I'm not safe yet, though,_ he thought with a sense of weariness and dread. _I'll never be able to escape the questions once we all get back. I don't even think I can use sleep as an excuse! Oh well, I guess I'll just have to cross that bridge when I come to it._

With heavy paws, he trudged silently on.

As he expected, Link was met with an onslaught of questions. Most of them were all the same: "How did you do that?" It wasn't something he could answer, though. The only thing he could do was continue walking to the warrior's den. It was a slow process, because he was accosted by a new Clan member with each step. Finally, he was intercepted by Firestar.

"I need to talk to you," he mewed.

Link readily followed him to his den and away from the swarm. When they were inside, Firestar turned around, sat, and motioned with his tail for Link to do the same.

"You probably know what I'm going to ask you," he stated.

"I really don't know how the pool works," Link explained, "but all of the spirits' springs in Hyrule can heal. You just stand in the water, and your wounds vanish. I guess it doesn't work quite the same way here, but it ends up doing the same thing."

"The Moonpool has never healed anyone before, though."

"I guess it just did it for me because I'm from Hyrule," Link replied honestly. "I think that the spirits from Hyrule are reaching here. Maybe the Moonpool can heal everyone now. I don't know."

"Alright," Firestar meowed after a brief moment of thought. "Go now. Get some rest." Link nodded and left the den.

The task of reaching his nest was going to be a difficult one. Link entered the sea of pelts, swimming his way over to the warrior's den. At long last, he made it. Exhausted, he pushed his way inside and lay down. More questions followed him, which he did his best to ignore. Mercifully, a voice of reason shushed them, informing them that Link needed his sleep. He wasn't sure who it had been, but he was very grateful.

He closed his eyes, drifting into slumber. It was the best sleep he had had in a long while.

_**(1)**_ Return of the floating stick!

**Post-Notes:** Whew! I lost the muse to write that one for the longest time. Not too much action, but it was still important. The next chapter will have more stuff going on, though, so you won't be deprived of action for long.

And now for that other little short I was talking about before!

_Note: It turned out a lot longer than I thought it would be. You don't have to read it if you're not interested._

Aout: Training.

_BLEH._

I felt like I had taken a hot shower in my clothes, then had stood in front of an open oven to dry off. I never got dry though, so the end result was just that I was really, _really_ hot as well as disgustingly wet. It didn't help that there wasn't an inch of shade to be found in this stupid field. Well, at least not in the part that we were in. Which sucked. I couldn't complain though, or I'd be labeled as a complainer. So even though I was super uncomfortable, I kept quiet about it.

I adjusted my visor, the rim of which had become rather damp from the sweat of my forehead. The sun beat down harshly, unrelenting in its quest to cook the earth and those that strode it. I hoped that I hadn't sweat off my sunscreen or anything, because I would be screwed if I had. My ultrawhite skin burned so easily that it wasn't even funny. For a moment, I entertained the wishful, impossible thought to play the Sun's Song and bring on the cool night, but of course it could never be.

A break. _Thank you._ I was parched. We all went to our stuff, pulling out water bottles and chugging them empty. I had heard that chugging liquids wasn't the best thing you could do because it made all these bubbles in your system, but as the lukewarm water slid down my throat, I couldn't help but drink it down. It was a good thing that I had brought three bottles of water with me, because one was already gone. Oh, there's the whistle. Time to get back to the drill.

I consulted my binder. It didn't look like anything special; the two covers were translucent plastic, and the spine was blue plastic. What it contained was the important thing. It held numerous pages of everything I needed to know about what we were going to do. Our director, whose voice was amplified by a speaker on a stand, told us where we were starting. We ran through the drill for the umpteenth time. I already had this portion memorized, but there were still people who weren't so sure. This would be more than a little monotonous.

Finally, it was time for lunch. We gathered our cases and headed off on the trek down the hill.

The hill. It was big. And steep. Going down it was alright, but going up was a little more difficult. This time we were headed down, so it was okay. We reached the brick building and entered. I set down my case in exchange for my lunchbox, which was drastically larger and lighter. I located my two friends in the little room where we always gathered, and sat down with them.

One is Dee. She's really nice, and has sort of a motherly air about her. She's almost like the older sister I never had. They told me that I had been cloned from her. Of course, my DNA had also been mixed with that of a polar bear's and a cat's. I look normal enough, but I exhibit traits of each. Anyway, Dee is the closest person to me out of anyone in this group. She's into anime and gaming and pocky and plushies and she's awesome.

The other one is Adam. When I say he's a friend, I say that lightly. The term almost implies a question mark when applied to him. He's sort of a loner, and he seems to be perpetually sarcastic. Even if he doesn't mean to (though he usually does), everything he says comes out in a snarky tone. He's quite arrogant, but he's certainly smart. We hardly ever agree, but we seem to be into the same things anyway. We tolerate each other.

I eat lunch with these two people every day. We talk and we play card games, too. It's a nice pause in the middle of all the training. I remembered that last year, the three of us would sit under the shade of a tree and eat lunch, but this year it was even too hot for that. The room we now occupied was small enough, but it was the perfect size for us. We were also in it enough that it had been unspokenly deemed as ours.

I got up to refill my water bottle from the bubbler. They always told me never to drink the water, but I did it anyway. Water is water, and when you're thirsty, water is _good_. Besides, I hadn't died. Yet. Once my bottle was full, I held it up to the light. It looked...discolored. Slightly. Maybe I was just paranoid, but I dunno.

I passed some rookies on my way back. They were sprawled out on the floor, groaning. I laughed to myself. I still remembered what it felt like to be a rookie, as I had been one just the previous year. I'm a veteran now, though. I'm used to it. As for the rookies, they go to sleep with their arms feeling like limp noodles, and they wake up as one big ache. Ha ha.

I continued walking, and I heard the music. The _music_. It persisted always. It was omnipresent. People hummed it, sang it, absently tapped out the rhythms on their thighs, and as I walked the halls now, I found myself humming it as well. It was jazzy, snappy, and vibrant. Ba-da _bweee_ da doo-daht, _dah_-dah da doo-daht...

I rejoined my friends, and we spent the rest of our break talking. It wasn't long before we had to head back out though. Up the hill we go! It's a big hill. Did I mention that?

The rest of this training session went on without a hitch. I won't bother to describe it, because it was long, tedious, and hot. Just know that we worked. Hard. A lot. Finally, the shadows of the trees that ringed the field started to stretch out to the middle. Night time was coming. We would practice a little more after that, but when night fell, it meant that we were pretty much done.

There was always a motivational speech spoken by our director at the end. He'd talk about how we worked hard and made him proud, or he'd tell us the things we needed to work on still. He would usually thank us for our persistence, too. He said stuff along those lines now. At the end, we were called to attention, as always. He dismissed us, and we answered with "Pride!" Same old, same old.

Yeah, it was a tiring session, but I knew that when fall rolled around, it would all pay off. The red army would advance on its foes and dominate...

Well, that's all for now! That part really didn't have action in it at all, but later ones will as the short story transitions from practice to actual faceoffs.

Yeah, I just included that little thing because I felt like it. You don't have to read the next one or anything (heck, you didn't have to read that one); you can stay just for the PWaF.

Now, I have a few questions for you guys. Please answer them, because they'll help me improve PWaF.

1) What is your favorite thing about _Power, Wisdom, and Fur_?

2) What is your least favorite thing about it?

3) What would you like to see happen?

4) Is there anything else you would like to add?

57) Watermelons.

Okay, I think I've covered everything. As always, I'll see you in Chapter 13!

-Your good buddy,

** Player4**


End file.
